A few seconds after the first tremor, a second tremor followed. This time, it was stronger than the previous one, and Hao Ren managed to capture the changes in the dimension.

Darkness was swallowing the boundary of the steppe. The tremor had seemingly damaged the structure of the dimension as a series of vague images—towers and part of the Shadow Fortress’ courtyard—began to appear in the shadows. The closed space of the cemetery had weakened following the tremors.

“What’s happening?” Hao Ren immediately asked aloud through the communication device.

As soon as Hao Ren’s voice trailed off, a scream from Witch Helen was heard over the communication device. “The border! The demon hunters have breached the border! They are coming! They are bringing down the first gate of the fortress!”

Madam Marie cried, “Oh God! There are too many of them!”

“F*ck!” Hessiana was heard cursing over the radio. “I thought we closed the door behind us? How did they manage to hack the shadow realm’s barrier so quickly?”

“They are an elite Hunter Group led by an elder,” Hao Ren said as he dodged a shockwave from the Malevolence. He looked at Hasse, who was struggling to fight not far away. “Now you know they are not what they used to be. Had we not ruined your plan, the demon hunters would have pinned you to the ground.”

Hasse glanced at Hao Ren. With the flick of his hand, Hasse threw a runic card with flashing light up in the air. It dematerialized and turned into a sparkling shield. As the shield clashed head-on with the Malevolence’s silent shrill, they annihilated each other. The old demon hunter quickly retreated dozens of meters. “If you have so much time to chit chat, you better think of a way to get us out of this predicament. The dimension here is collapsing. We either fight or leave!”

Meanwhile, Hessiana’s voice was heard over the radio again, and she apparently sounded anxious. “An entire Hunter Group? Holy Jesus! I almost died! Witches, where are the demon hunters now?”

“They have passed the atrium,” Madam Marie said with a shivering voice. “The Soulless are nowhere to be seen. Only a few guards intercepted the demon hunters, who wiped out everything along the way!”

“The Soulless are with us,” Hao Ren said in an unhurried tone of voice as everything went just as he had expected. “Little Bat, can we shut down the Wall of Roses around the cemetery?”

“Do not call me by my nickname!” Hessiana snorted. “There is no way to shut the Wall of Roses. It is Vivian’s spiritual defense during hibernation. I can do nothing about it.”

Hao Ren frowned. “Can the demon hunters pass through it?”

“The elite demon hunters would have no problem overcome the barrier. After all, Lady Vivian has not woken up, and the Wall of Roses is only running automatically.”

Hao Ren exhaled. “That will be fine. Save me some trouble. Little Bat, could you please send some Soulless Guards to lure the demon hunters to the cemetery?”

“Do not call me by my nickname… Oh, wait a second! Did you just say lure the demon hunters to the cemetery?”

“Those guys could do no real damage on the outside. It is better to let them come in,” Hao Ren said with a sly smile.

“How can I let the bastards come in to disturb Lady Vivian’s sleep!”

“There has been a 9-Richter scale earthquake here, sleeping my foot! Are you not pragmatic? Let the demon hunters deal with the Malevolence! You don’t get the opportunity to use the demon hunters as cannon fodder very often, do you?”

Sometimes saying the same thing differently would get unexpected results. Little Bat was delighted. The idea that letting the demon hunters come in would play into her hands sounded like a good idea.

Hessiana sounded excited in the radio. “I will send the Soulless Guards over to lure them right away.”

Hao Ren grinned and looked up, making an OK gesture to Hasse. “Do not worry, Hasse, the Hunter Group will come to help very soon.”

The continuous shockwaves from the Malevolence had tattered Hasse’s lordly outfit, but the old demon hunter still stood in the air masterfully. Hasse looked deadpan when he heard what Hao Ren said. “Come on, I am not deaf. I heard what you and your partner said.”

“Is this not what you want?” Hao Ren said with a smile. “Moreover, had I not said it that way, that little girl would not have cooperated. I suppose demon hunters are pragmatists. The means are not important as long as you get the end results you want.”

Hasse was in a sticky wicket when Hao Ren was open with his guile.

He stared dead at Hao Ren, his face stony from the effect of the toxin. Nonetheless, he was angry. He turned around and snorted, “Whatever. Is the girl an offspring of the Countess?”

“The one I talked to over the radio?” Yes.” Hao Ren smiled while remotely controlling the turrets to fire on the Malevolence. “She is Hessiana. You will meet him later.”

“Oh, yeah?” Hasse’s face was inexpressive. “I am curious to see her.”

The attack of the Soulless was still fierce.

The Bleakbone Dragon continuously spewed deadly Dark Breath from the air. The Soulless Guards launched wave after wave of attack from the steppe. Indescribable nightmare monsters shrieked and threw themselves to the Malevolence in the light column. But this fierce offensive could do little damage to the Malevolence. Lifting its hand, the Malevolence smashed the Soulless into dust and smoke with her lethal shockwave. The resurrection of the Soulless was unable to keep up with the speed of their death; their number on the steppe rapidly declined. Had it not been for Lily, the army in the dreamland would have lost its effectiveness.

But the Soulless had been holding back the Malevolence long enough. As another group of gargoyles crumbled to the ground, the reinforcement had finally arrived.

With the Soulless as the bait, Lockheed led his forces going deep into the Shadow Fortress. After passing through the foyer in the north tower, the Wall of Roses stood in their way.

The demon hunters realized that they had come to the Countess of the Crimson Moon’s place of hibernation. They had no clue why the Soulless Guards led them there, but Lockheed proceeded to order his soldiers to bring down the barrier.

The fierce battle in the cemetery had affected the core operation of the shadowy realm, which in turn weakened the Wall of Roses. Many thorns had withered, and rose petals fell from the sky like rain. Cracks began to appear in the once strong defense. Under the fierce attack of the demon hunters, an opening large enough for the entire Hunter Group to pass through had formed.

Hao Ren saw there as an explosion in the Wall of Roses not far away. The arch gate formed by the thorns and roses vanished in an instant. The blast spread and rose up all the way into the sky and finally left behind a distorted vertical spatial rift on the steppe.

It all happened with a loud boom.

Lockheed was leading a dozen demon hunters barging into the battlefield.

The moment the demon hunters came in, the scene of the Soulless Guards fighting hand in hand with their elder Hasse knocked their socks off. Even the kidnapper, Hao Ren, was not far away and looked Hasse was on his side too.

What the heck was going on?

Lockheed’s brain froze for a long time.

Hao Ren winked at Hasse. “You know what to say.”

Cooperation with Hao Ren was a forced choice, but Hasse knew his priority. He would not sabotage his own effort. “We are working together for now. The priority is to take down the Countess!”

Hasse had no time to explain to Lockheed what the Malevolence was all about. He just needed his men to know what their target was.

What unfolded before the eyes took them unawares. There was nothing like what they had expected before they came into the Shadowy Realm. The demon hunters thought that they would have to fight the Soulless Guards and come face to face with the violent Vivian Ancestor. They anticipated that Hao Ren and his accomplices would attack them, and there would be a crimson moon waiting for them and the soldiers had prepared for the worst. But what happened right now was something they had not been able to foresee.

There were not many Soulless Guards in the Shadow Fortress. The demon hunters did not encounter any meaningful resistance as they went into the cemetery. When they were finally in the graveyard, they saw Hasse and his kidnapper were working together. There was a crimson moon here, but the moonlight lacked the destructive power.

It was totally unexpected. Lockheed was struck dumb.

But it did not take long for him to recover from his daze.

Hasse’s shout of order jolted them. They realized that it was not the time for questioning.

Lockheed raised his right hand and ordered all the demon hunters.

“Listen! Help the elder and the Soulless Guards to attack the Countess!