The week following the initial sparring sessions unfolded in a surprisingly amicable fashion. Li Yu and Jian Xuan became regular guests within the demon containment zone. The initial tension had largely dissipated, replaced by a cautious curiosity and a shared sense of being trapped by circumstance.

They sparred frequently. Jian Xuan was continuing to suppress his realm, delighted in testing his 'Singing Blade' against the varied demonic combat styles. He only won his matches, his skill proving superior and earning a grudging respect even as his loud praises to the Crab God bewildered his opponents.

Beyond the sparring, they shared food and drink. Jian Xuan brought out fine wines and potent spirits to share freely. The demons reciprocated with dark fiery liquors and potent brews from Xul'Thar. They sat around the crackling purple-black demonic fire pits exchanging tales. Li Yu was very curious and listened intently. He was absorbing details about their world and their society.

Despite their monstrous appearances, they were undeniably people with hierarchies, traditions, fears and moments of camaraderie. The lines Li Yu had drawn in his mind between 'human' and 'demon' began to blur. Different forms, different energies, different worlds, yet the core drives seemed strikingly similar. Perhaps, he mused again, all sentient life, regardless of its origin ultimately trod similar paths in the pursuit of power and survival. The saying "All Daos lead to the same source" might apply to life itself. It was a profound thought, a mystery he felt increasingly drawn to unravel.

It was on the eighth day of this strange, informal cultural exchange that the fragile peace shattered.

It began subtly. A tremor, deeper and more prolonged than the one that had signaled the end of the Ruins. Then the sky to the east began to ripple. Not the violent tearing of the demon rifts, but a sickening oily distortion like reality itself was becoming unstable.

Then another set of rifts opened.

Not black-red like the demon portals but a horrifying vibrant purple. Dozens of them, clustered together in the eastern sky. They were bathing the clouds in an unnatural violet light. They pulsed with an energy that felt wrong, alien, actively hostile to the natural Qi of the world.

"What... what is that?" Grand Elder Corvus murmured from the perimeter wall.

Lord Zaltar, who had emerged from his command post let out a low guttural growl, his four arms tensing from the sight.

Figures began to emerge from the purple rifts.

Li Yu's spiritual sense recoiled. These were not demons.

Some were vaguely humanoid, tall and thin, with limbs bending at strange angles. Their skin was a pale translucent white, revealing pulsing purple veins. They had no discernible faces, just smooth ovoid heads inset with clusters of small black unblinking eyes.

Others moved on all fours or six limbs, resembling nightmarish insects with segmented bodies, sharp chitinous limbs and gaping vertical maws filled with needle-sharp teeth.

Both types shared the same pale skin, black eyes and a disturbing aura of swirling, corrupting purple energy that seemed to actively devour the surrounding spiritual Qi.

"The Xylarri..." Zaltar breathed, his voice tight with a mixture of hatred and something Li Yu had not heard from him before: fear.

"Xylarri..." Jian Xuan whispered simultaneously. His usual boisterous energy was completely gone, replaced by a cold grim recognition. His knuckles were white on his sword hilt.

Li Yu looked between them sharply. "You know them?"

"Know them?" Zaltar spat. "They are a plague upon realities. They seem to appear when the veils between realms thin, when there are a lot of rifts appearing. They seem to be drawn by instability like parasites to a wound."

"I have seen them before," Jian Xuan said, his voice low and hard. "On my home continent. Decades ago. A purple rift opened during a war. These... things... came out. The elders called them Xylarri. They didn't care who was human and who was beast. They attacked everything. Indiscriminate slaughter."

"They cannot be reasoned with," Zaltar continued, echoing Jian Xuan's grim assessment. "They do not speak. They do not negotiate. Their only instinct is to consume, to destroy and corrupt. They can drain the life force and spiritual energy of their victims, growing stronger with every kill. No one seems to know where they really come from or what their goals are, if they have any."

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Li Yu watched as the first wave of the Xylarri reached the ground miles away. They didn't pause or assess. They simply surged forward, devouring plants and wildlife, leaving behind patches of grey lifeless dust.

A small scouting party that the cultists had sent out were unlucky enough to be in their path. They were overwhelmed in seconds. Many of their desperate attacks barely scratched the creatures' pale hides before they were swarmed, drained and reduced to empty husks. Within the fighting there were some Xylarri that were killed, so they were killable but soon after they too were absorbed by their kind.

"They are incredibly tough," Jian Xuan stated grimly. "Their bodies resist conventional attacks, both physical and Qi-based. And their souls... they feel wrong. Strong but alien like. Hard to affect with standard spiritual arts."

Zaltar nodded. "Their strength often surpasses cultivators of the same apparent realm. A Xylarri drone at the Core Formation level can often overwhelm a demon or human of the same stage through sheer resilience and relentless assault."

Li Yu listened to all of this new information and his mind was racing. Strong bodies that were resistant to attacks. Strong souls that were resistant to spiritual arts. Able to absorb life force and Qi to grow stronger. He felt an unsettling flicker of recognition. His Abyssal Leviathan Physique granted immense strength and resilience. His Nascent Soul was exceptionally powerful. And his unique martial spirit allowed him to devour energy though it seemed a bit more limited than the Xylarri.

He quickly pushed the thought away. The resemblance was superficial, born of similar functions perhaps, but their nature was alien and hostile. He was a cultivator seeking power and understanding. They seemed like a mindless plague seeking only consumption. Still... the similarities were unnerving. If their strengths mirrored his own... they would be incredibly dangerous opponents.

"If this many are emerging..." Li Yu said, his voice grim, "It's an invasion."

As if on cue, Li Yu's communication token flared violently, along with Grand Elder Corvus's and likely every other commander's on the continent. Theron's voice came through, tight with urgency, overlaid with the sounds of distant, chaotic energy discharges.

"All commanders! Hostile entities confirmed, it is the Xylarri! Multiple rift sites opening across the entire eastern third of the southern continent! Repeat, eastern third! All Alliance units are to prioritize this new threat!"

Theron's voice was strained but decisive. "All units east of the Black River line are to conduct immediate strategic withdrawal westward! Abandon the eastern territories for now! Establish primary defensive lines along the Black River! Secondary lines at the Iron Peaks! Tertiary at the Whispering Plains! Fourth at the Stone Spine Mountains! Final line at the Aethelgard Plateau!”

“This is not a drill! Evacuate all civilian populations behind the Stone Spine line! All forces, including neutral parties and our demon guests are authorized to fall back behind the defensive lines! We face a common enemy! Survival and evacuation protocols are in effect!"

The message was clear. Theron recognized the Xylarri. He was aware of the threat they posed. He might have even fought against them before. He knew that fighting them and potentially the Cultists and managing the contained demons separately was impossible. This was an extinction-level event for this continent and survival required unprecedented cooperation.

Grand Elder Corvus looked stunned for a moment, then his experience took over. "You heard the Grand Elder! Form the defensive lines and activate full defensive arrays! Prepare for withdrawal protocols!"

He turned to Zaltar, his expression grim but resolute. "Lord Zaltar! Grand Elder Theron offers your people passage behind our defensive lines. These Xylarri... they will not distinguish between human and demon. We should work together once the lines are formed to defend."

Zaltar stared at the swirling purple rifts, watching the pale tide surge forward, consuming everything. He knew this enemy. He knew they wouldn't stop at humans. Xul'Thar had faced smaller incursions before and that was already terrible. The scale of this was on a completely different level.

"My people will move," Zaltar declared, his voice resonating with command. "They understand this plague. We will fight alongside you, human, against this common annihilation." He turned and issued rapid orders. The demons within the containment zone began to organize with surprising speed, preparing for a fighting retreat.

Jian Xuan turned to Li Yu, his earlier gloom replaced by a fierce battle light. "Brother Li! The Grand Elder calls for retreat but the eastern garrisons... the civilians... they need time."

Li Yu knew what he was thinking. Retreat was logical for the main force. But letting the Xylarri advance completely unchecked couldn’t be allowed. They would be consuming everything and growing stronger while thousands tried to evacuate... "They need more people to slow them down," Li Yu stated. "Buy time for the evacuation. Help the retreating forces."

"Indeed!" Jian Xuan grinned brightly. This was the kind of thing that made him excited, proving his might against tough foes and overwhelming odds. He drew his sword and its blade was already humming with the joyous energy of his 'Singing Blade' art. "A glorious battle against an unholy tide! A perfect offering for the Crab God! Let us join the fray!"

"Grand Elder Corvus!" Li Yu called out. "Inform Grand Elder Theron! Commander Jian Xuan and I are heading east! We will assist the retreating forces and engage the Xylarri vanguard where necessary!"

Grand Elder Corvus looked at the two of them – the Soul Formation madman and the Core Formation monster – then at the terrifying purple tide spilling from the eastern sky. "Ancestors protect you," he murmured. "Go! Buy them the time they need!"

Without another word, Li Yu and Jian Xuan shot into the sky like twin comets against the brightening horizon. They were flying directly towards the eastern chaos. Behind them, the massive evacuation and consolidation of human and demon forces began. A new desperate war had just begun.