At that critical moment, Marquis Kregi sensed impending danger. Several formidable beams struck the protective shield, propelling him back over ten meters.
"What's happening?"
"More powerful foes!"
The force of these attacks rivaled that of a Level 5 overlord. When faced with multiple concentrated beams simultaneously, even Marquis Kregi felt a substantial threat. But it was not just him; Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, Bard, and the powerful aids surrounding them were all subjected to these intense assaults. Several top-tier mercenaries, adventurers, and Heroes of Level 4 and 5 found themselves caught off guard, either severely injured or instantly killed.
Their attention quickly pinpointed the source of these assaults---the Demon King's royal guards. More than a hundred of them, led by Wei Yi, were the perpetrators. Among them, thirty had been enhanced into super guards with the Evil God Cultivator.
Wei Yi beat his wings, brandishing a large sword in his right hand and unleashing tentacles from his left. Ten beholder eyes gathered in his palm, unleashing ten consecutive attacks at the Knight Commander a short distance away. Although they could not penetrate the Knight Commander's golden armor, the relentless onslaught managed to push him back. Seizing this opportunity, Wei Yi swiftly approached Long Yi.
"This one has arrived late!"
"Not at all! You've come precisely in time!"
Bard's face contorted in frustration. "This damned Demon King, he's been hiding this horrifying force all along!"
"This situation is dire," Marquis Kregi muttered, his brows furrowed in deep concern. Initially, he had hoped for a swift victory, teaming up with the other three formidable powerhouses to defeat the Demon King swiftly and minimize their losses. But he had not anticipated the Demon King reserving such a powerful card---a squadron of draconians with overwhelming strength.
Wei Yi led thirty super draconian guards, each boasting a comprehensive combat capability on par with a Level 5 overlord. One or two would not tip the balance, but facing thirty of these elite guards was an entirely different scenario. Ten of them alone could match a Level 6 overlord from the empire, these thirty guards were more than sufficient to engage with three.
Engaged by these powerful draconian guards, the empire was left with just one overlord to fight Long Yi. How could a lone overlord possibly contend with the Dark Dragon King? And beyond the thirty super draconian guards, there were an additional hundred of the usual royal guards, each a formidable force in their own right.
They could not afford to continue like this. The Demon King's magitek citadel was an unstoppable force, acting like a merciless reaper. Yet, it was not the mercenaries or church's troops being harvested; the floating citadel had unexpectedly hit the army from the back, it was the empire's soldiers and noble forces that were being harvested.
The losses were catastrophic. If they persisted, losing two or three legions out of four was all but guaranteed. Even if they emerged victorious against the Demon King, the Marquis would find it incredibly challenging to explain the losses to the Grand Duke. His personal reputation would not soar from the victory; instead, it would plummet dramatically.
"Retreat!" the Marquis issued the order once more. Even Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia fell silent this time; circumstances were more dire than any plan they had devised. The imperial coalition was in disarray, their combat efficiency dwindling to less than fifty percent. The Demon King's power and forces exceeded their initial estimations significantly. They had no choice but to withdraw temporarily and regroup before the casualties escalated any further.
However, this retreat shattered their hopes for a swift victory. Both sides would now enter a protracted period of standoff.
"Thinking of leaving?" the Dark Dragon King sneered. "Hah! It will not be that easy!"
Long Yi swiftly activated his domain skill, pulling everyone present into the realm of darkness. He had purposefully conserved his strength during the earlier battle, enduring more physical damage to preserve his MP for this critical moment.
"Oh no!" Count Kregi's face paled. He had not expected the Dark Dragon King to activate his domain at this precise moment. Unless they depleted the Dragon King's power entirely or defeated him outright, with their current abilities, breaking through the domain was impossible.
Xiang Nanfeng quickly instructed Hong Xia, "Use the Domain Sphere!"
Hong Xia retrieved a crystal and activated the magical item, releasing the domain power sealed within it. This temporarily nullified the Dragon King's domain.
Just then, a barrage of dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of abyssal thunderbolts struck simultaneously, targeting Hong Xia. She was sent flying, her magical shields shattering one after another, causing substantial damage and nullifying her teleportation magic.
Long Yi's lips curled into a sinister grin. "Did you honestly think the same trick could work twice before me? I've long anticipated your moves. Since you've ventured here to challenge me with such ignorance, I'll gladly keep all of you here!"
With his words, thirty super draconian guards assembled before him, each raising their left hands, unleashing powerful beams of energy. Long Yi let out a deafening roar, summoning a deluge of abyssal thunder that filled the sky.
"Shit!"
"This is really bad!"
"We're completely trapped!"
Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, Bard, and Marquis Kregi all wore expressions of grave concern. The situation had drastically reversed. Fate had swiftly shifted its favor. The Dark Dragon King, previously on the verge of defeat, now had the upper hand, aided by the super draconian guards.
Xiang Nanfeng exclaimed, "Demon King, if you disdain fighting with unfair numbers, why resort to such tactics now?"
Hongxia added, "If you're truly formidable, face us one-on-one!"
Face them one-on-one? A duel? Don't be ridiculous! In a one-on-one situation, the Dragon King could not possibly be matched. The words of the two Heroes were merely a tactic to buy time. The Dark Dragon King sneered sinisterly, "Still trying to play tricks before me? You're dead meat!"
The first to succumb was Knight Commander Bard. He might not have been the weakest among them, but the transformation skill of the Knight Commander made his size significantly larger. This drew the most firepower. After enduring consecutive strikes of fifty or sixty super beholder beams and over a hundred thunderbolt strikes, even his immensely strong defense and high magical resistance of the Guardian Golden Form could not withstand the pressure and shattered.
It was the perfect opportunity. The Dark Dragon King moved in an instant, breathing a torrent of dragon flames onto Bard. Bard hastily raised his sword to defend, but after his transformation was broken, he was relatively vulnerable for a short period. He could not muster enough Qi to counter the dragon flames.
The other three could only hear a painful and resentful scream. Bard was engulfed by the terrifying dragon flames. His flesh, from skin to muscle, and finally his bones, were burnt into a piece of charcoal. The physical body of a Level 6 knight was truly exceptional. Even after being washed by the torrent of dragon flames for several seconds, he was only charred. If it were an ordinary warrior, they might have been turned into ashes instantly.
With a swift tail flick, Bard's charred remains were directly pounded into fragments. Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, and Marquis Kregi were drenched in cold sweat. A sense of despair washed over them. The formidable Knight Commander, a Guardian Knight, had died so miserably. They had been barely holding on, and now, with one less to draw the enemy's attention, the pressure on the remaining three had intensified drastically. This was far from an ideal situation.
"Your turn!" The Dark Dragon King instantly appeared before Xiang Nanfeng. Reacting swiftly, Xiang Nanfeng summoned his flame sword and swung it towards the Dark Dragon King. But in the blink of an eye, another instantaneous teleportation occurred. The Dark Dragon King vanished from Xiang Nanfeng's sight and reappeared directly in front of the Radiant High Priest, Hong Xia.
It was a diversion! The true target was her! Xiang Nanfeng and Marquis Kregi realized this immediately. Without a doubt, they all understood that among the four of them, the Radiant High Priest posed the most significant threat to the Demon King. Her radiant divine arts had the power to counter dark attributed creatures. Not only could she defend herself, but she could also extend this protective aura to others.
Moreover, she possessed teleportation abilities and, when combined with specific magical items, was the only one capable of escaping the situation. Hong Xia's expression turned from determination to sheer horror. She hurriedly activated all her prepared defensive divine arts, layering shield after shield around herself. However, in that crucial moment, a dozen or more super beholder beams struck.
The shields Hong Xia conjured were shattered, layer by layer. The dragon flames of the Dark Dragon King obliterated the remaining defenses. In a heart-wrenching scream, the Radiant High Priest was swallowed by the searing inferno.
"Ahhhhh! Even if I die! I'm taking you with me!"
"Great Lord of Radiance, hear my prayer. I offer my blood, my flesh, my soul, grant me your most magnificent power of radiance! CAST DOWN THIS WORM WITH YOUR MIGHT OF BRILLIANCE!!"
The Dark Dragon King sensed danger. The Radiant High Priest, about to be turned into charred remains, suddenly exhibited numerous cracks all over her body. Each crack emitted a powerful aura of light, as if some immense force was tearing her body apart from within. This was grim! It was a self-destructive skill! If she succeeded, the Dark Dragon King would be severely wounded instantly. Given the Dark Dragon King's existing injuries, there was a risk of being counter-killed! They truly could not underestimate these opponents. Each of them had a trump card!
Acting swiftly, the Dark Dragon King abandoned his attack, reducing the domain's scope and pushing the Hero priest outside of it. With a thunderous explosion, the Radiant High Priest detonated. The released light was so intense that it affected everyone on the battlefield. They lost their vision, their bodies seared by radiant elements. Some flying units closer to the explosion were burnt to a crisp.
Even though Long Yi reacted promptly, countless beams of light, sharp as swords, pierced through the domain's barrier from outside, aiming directly at him. It seemed this ability had a certain target locking mechanism! Long Yi immediately dispelled the domain, using successive instantaneous movements to dodge one intense light beam after another. It was a close call, to say the least.
"We're out!"
Bard and Hong Xia were dead. However, Xiang Nanfeng and Marquis Kregi unexpectedly managed to escape the lockdown of the domain. But escaping from the domain lockdown did not mean they were safe. The draconian guards continued their relentless pursuit, preventing them from casting any spells to flee.
At this moment, Long Yi, who had avoided all radiant beams, swooped back in. A dense aura of darkness brewed around him. Xiang Nanfeng had not anticipated things turning out like this. If Hong Xia had not died, there might have been a glimmer of hope. But now that the Radiant High Priest was dead, all the magical effects on Xiang Nanfeng had disappeared. He was currently utterly incapable of facing the Dark Dragon King.
He had not expected the Demon King to be this difficult to kill! No wonder even Yan Qianjun had failed! If only he had not been so reckless. He regretted his hastiness. They should have teamed up with all the Thunderous Society members. But it was too late for regrets. As for Marquis Kregi, no matter how experienced he was, he was utterly powerless against the terrifying entity before him. The battlefield situation was worsening by the moment.
The magitek citadel, this relentless reaper, continued its manic onslaught against the imperial soldiers. Its firepower was simply overwhelming, equivalent to a mage army of two to three hundred thousand, capable of single-handedly tipping the scales of victory. Two out of the three participating Counts were obliterated by the cannons.
The formations of all four imperial legions were in disarray. Mercenary troops, church's forces, noble contingents---all were desperately holding their ground. Meanwhile, the Demon King's army launched an all-out assault. Fifty thousand berserk ogres rampaged mindlessly, while the diamond earth drakes, mystic battlemages' transformed drakes, and golden giants fought under the blessings of the draconian high priests.
The opportune moment for retreat had been lost. Given the current situation, even if nearly a million troops retreated, half of them surviving would be considered fortunate. How could they continue this fight? It seemed inevitable that they would lose.
"There's no choice! We have to request Grand Duke Bachor to intervene personally!"
Marquis Kregi activated a magic scroll, creating ripples in space that formed an instant portal.
Long Yi thought the enemy intended to escape through spatial means. He immediately unleashed his abyssal lightning, attempting to disrupt the stability of the space. But at that moment, a surge of combat Qi burst out from the portal, dispersing the lightning in the sky.
The Dark Dragon King's expression changed. "What is this power? How can it be so overwhelming!?"
The next moment, a figure stepped out of the portal. Standing at two meters tall, he appeared imposing to humans, but among draconians, ogres, and even giants, his size was rather ordinary. However, the moment he emerged, there was a sense of pressure akin to facing a hundred feet tall titan. Even the mighty Dark Dragon King felt a palpable sense of danger, causing him to slow down his approach.
This elderly man, with silver hair flowing like a lion's mane, exuded a regal aura. As his eyes swept across the battlefield upon stepping out of the portal, his expression immediately darkened.
"Kregi! You have disappointed me!"
Marquis Kregi looked extremely fearful. "Grand Duke Bachor, I am deserving of death for my failures. I am willing to accept any punishment."
The old man raised his head, his gaze solid and intense. Finally, his eyes settled on the Dark Dragon King.
"Are you the Demon King of the Chaos Forest? You do have some strength and cunning to force the empire's forces to this extent."
Long Yi's gaze became serious. "And who are you?"
"I am the Grand Duke of the Southern March---Wilcliff Bachor!"
Upon hearing his words, everyone's complexion changed dramatically. This elderly man was the Grand Duke of the south? No wonder the pressure he emitted was so strong. No wonder Marquis Kregi behaved with such deference in his presence. The Grand Duke had personally intervened!
Yet Long Yi remained unperturbed, displaying a cold smile. If His Majesty the Demon King represented the last trump card of the Darkness City and the Chaos Federation, then Grand Duke Bachor symbolized the final stand of the Thunder Empire's southern border and Bachor Duchy. When the ultimate play was forcibly unveiled, it signaled the depletion of all available options. Normally, the paramount figure of a robust and stable faction should refrain from direct involvement, as such a move entailed immense risk, not just to themselves, but also what they stood for.
Yet, Bachor had stepped into the fray, indicating his lack of alternatives but to engage personally.
Bachor suggested, "You possess strength and potential. Should you abandon the Chaos Forest, I might entertain the notion of welcoming you into the empire."
In response, Long Yi erupted into laughter. "You're not entirely without merit. Why not relinquish your futile title as duke? I could consider admitting you into the ranks of the Chaos Federation."
This proposition kindled a fierce intensity.
"You're but a Level 5 monarch. Do you genuinely believe I can't handle you? I've dispatched foes of your caliber before!"
Grand Duke Bachor's latent power surged forth, his emitted aura growing more fearsome, the pressure he exerted becoming increasingly suffocating. It resembled a slumbering volcano now roaring back to life.
"In fact, I haven't personally fought in a war for decades."
"It's such a rare occasion to encounter an adversary deserving of my prowess. I hope you can endure a bit longer, and allow me to enjoy this battle more thoroughly."