The next day, Tien City received a message. The defending humans were prepared, and this time, the battle would be different from the previous ones. As the strongest representative on the human side, Luo Zheng did not personally appear on the front line. Instead, he sat cross-legged at the center of a large magical formation within Tien City.
Within the grand magical formation, there were twenty powerful mages, the youngest of whom was in their fifties. Each emitted a formidable aura. The weakest among them reached the rank of a Level 4 lord, while the strongest achieved the strength of a Level 5 overlord. These twenty mages were all direct disciples of the MageKing Halyfax and were personally brought by Luo Zheng this time. They undoubtedly constituted a formidable force.
The remaining sixteen members of the Thunderous Society stood outside the magical formation, ready for action. Among these sixteen members, nearly half were Level 6, totaling seven individuals. These seven were the core strongmen among the Heroes who joined the Thunderous Society in the Thunder Empire. Their strengths rivals figures like Yan Qianjun, Xiang Nanfeng, or Hong Xia---any one of them could hold their own.
Moreover, each of them held a certain status and position, with their own troops or subordinates. When their entire force was combined, the Thunderous Society had the capability to threaten any known Demon King at the current stage. This formidable force stood as the primary source of confidence for the impending battle.
Luo Zheng abruptly opened his eyes, and before him hovered a crystal ball. Placing his hand on the crystal orb, an image materialized, revealing the approaching army of the Darkness City. Estimated at around a hundred thousand strong, this force comprised roughly thirty thousand draconian super soldiers, alongside elite troops spanning Level 2 and 3. Among their ranks were humans, orcs, elves, ogres, and various forest tribes, predominantly consisting of summoned units and affiliated legions. The sheer intensity of their presence was both overwhelming and formidable.
"We've been compromised!" declared a Thunderous Society Hero with a deep voice. Standing at an imposing height of two and a half meters, his robust physique resembled a towering structure. To humans, he would be considered a super-strong man. Unencumbered by armor, his dark muscles gleamed with a metallic sheen.
This individual was a pivotal member of the Thunderous Society, none other than the vice president of the Thunderous Society, Xing Rong. Unlike super Heroes like Luo Zheng, Xing Rong had not started as one of the top-tier powerhouses in the Thunder Empire; he had initially served as a legion commander stationed in the western border of the empire. It could be affirmed that his current Level 6 strength was entirely the result of Xing Rong's efforts. In the western border of the empire, he held a fearsome reputation that made Demon Kings quake at the mere mention of his name.
Observing the scene within Luo Zheng's crystal ball, Xing Rong promptly discerned that their intelligence had been compromised. Otherwise, the Three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City would not need to mobilize such an extensive force or personally engage in the assault on Tien City, a relatively small county.
"It seems that the Demon King's intelligence capabilities are higher than we anticipated," Luo Zheng remarked without revealing much emotion. "However, it doesn't matter. You and the Blood Lion Knight Order will be at the forefront, and I'll be in the rear supporting you."
"Yes!" Xing Rong immediately set off. He led six other Level 6 super Heroes, along with ten top-notch Level 5 Heroes, plus an attached coalition force, swiftly heading to the battlefield.
Luo Zheng stared at the crystal ball before him. He coldly smiled, saying, "Darkness City, I really want to see how you'll respond to this!"
Not long after Xing Rong and the members of the Blood Lion Knight Order arrived at the frontline, they witnessed a vast army of Demon King rapidly approaching Tien City.
The Dark Dragon King, along with the other two dragon kings, led nine Abyssal Dragons, over a hundred high priests, draconian generals, and more than ten Sky Drake Archpriests and Earth Drake Grand Marshals. They appeared before Tien City.
Long Yi directly issued a threat, "Listen, Thunderous Society! I know you're hiding in there. I advise you to drop your weapons and surrender as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the battle starts, don't blame me for being too ruthless!"
Upon hearing this, Xing Rong burst into hearty laughter. In a voice as resonant as a horn, he chuckled, "Hahaha, Demon King, have you not yet understood the situation? Your recent commotion is nothing more than a small part of the southern border of the empire. Indeed, Darkness City has some tricks up its sleeve, but your cards are dwindling. The depth of the empire's foundation is beyond your imagination, be it the official forces or the immense strength harbored by the civilians."
"In truth, the downfall of Darkness City is just a matter of time. You are simply not on par with the imperial forces. Everything you're doing now is leading to your own demise!"
"But of course! The day when the entire empire takes action! You probably won't live to see it! You won't even see tomorrow's sun!"
The Dark Dragon King sneered, "Arrogant fool. If you have the guts, come out and face me in a duel!"
A duel was impossible. It was too challenging for a Level 6 overlord to go against a Level 5 monarch, especially when the opponent was not an ordinary monarch but the King of Abyssal Dragons. Its strength was formidable enough to contend with a Level 6 monarch for a while. Only someone with a short-circuited brain would attempt to go for a one-on-one showdown.
"Your Highness! Why waste words with them?" Earth Drake Grand Marshal Wang Er suggested, "Let's just charge in!"
Long Yi sensed that something was amiss. This encounter with the enemy differed from the previous ones. The presence of too many high-tier combatants raised concerns, and notably absent among the detected forces was any sign of the Mage King Halyfax. Where could that human be? There had to be an ambush.
Therefore, Long Yi said, "Let's observe before deciding."
However, in the standoff lasting not more than fifteen minutes, Sky Dragon King Li Si furrowed his brow and looked up, his expression subtly changing. "This is bad. Look, someone is casting a large-scale magic!"
As he spoke, Long Yi felt the magical fluctuations emanating from the sky. When he looked up, the entire cloud cover had turned fiery red. Numerous scorching flames and terrifying magical energy erupted. Red-hot meteorites broke through the cloud cover, numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands, and hurtled toward the earth at an alarming speed. The target: the Demon King's super army.
S-Class magic: Apocalyptic Firestorm!
Luo Zheng was not on the frontline. Through magic crystals and reconnaissance methods, he effortlessly controlled every aspect of the battlefield and cast spells using the grand magical formation. This grand magical formation not only significantly increased the casting range but also greatly enhanced the original power of the magic. As a mage like Luo Zheng, he could humiliate the enemy from dozens of miles away using S-Class magic. The enemy, or even entire hostile legions, their entire army could be wiped out in smoke and ashes before being able to find his exact location. At this moment, as a greeting to the Demon King's army, a S-Class magic was unleashed.
"Damn! There are too many meteorites!" Zhang San's expression turned serious as he sensed the situation becoming challenging. Several hundred, if not thousands, of red-hot meteorites, each possessing impact force and explosive power likely reaching A+ level, posed a significant threat. A direct hit could result in massive casualties.
"Hmph, hiding in the backlines, what kind of coward is this!"
Long Yi roared, "Dark Drainage!" Countless streams of dark energy erupted from Long Yi's body like a volcanic eruption, instantly blanketing the sky and extinguishing the flames on the surface of the fiery meteorites. Although the power was mitigated by dark magic, it still carried substantial destructive force.
"Space Distortion!" Li Si activated a space magic, causing widespread distortion in the space. While lacking direct attack power, the brief spatial distortion, akin to a spring, altered the trajectory of the meteorites, making them more concentrated.
"Gravity Control!" Zhang San then manipulated gravity, nearly depleting the kinetic energy of the meteorites.
The nine Abyssal Dragons unleashed Abyssal Thunder, and in an instant, lightning filled the sky. Hundreds of massive meteorites were all crushed into powder.
"Hahahaha! The Three Dragon Kings of Darkness City have truly lived up to their reputation. You are indeed quite capable!" An extremely hoarse and ancient voice echoed from Tien City, penetrating the ears of everyone present with remarkable clarity, creating a palpable sense of pressure.
"Such formidable mana!" Li Si furrowed his brow and thought, "This mage's strength surpasses mine by far. He must be the renowned Mage King Halyfax, the foremost Hero of the Thunderous Society."
Unexpectedly, such a figure has become a Hero. The Apocalyptic Firestorm just was his doing. Moreover, without exerting much effort, just a probing attack, it posed a significant threat to the Darkness City legion.
Li Si observed the frontline deployment again, deeply feeling the immense difficulty of this battle. The combined forces of both the legion of ten thousand Blood Lion Knights and the factions of the Thunderous Society amounted to a troop not numerous but with comprehensive strength that rivaled the Imperial Army in the battle of Kolo. The Thunderous Society had eight super Heroes, and in addition to the Blood Lion Knight Commander, meaning they had nine Level 6 Heroes. Among them, the Hero Luo Zheng was even a Level 6 monarch!
As for Level 5 combatants? It was challenging to calculate precisely. In terms of the number of powerhouses, they far surpassed the battle of Kolo. In that battle, there was a defensive advantage and the Citadel of Eternity to suppress the field. Today, they were on the offensive side. The citadel, in this situation, could not easily mobilize; otherwise, it might be easily destroyed in the process of movement.
However one looked at it, the difficulty was substantial.
"I've already gauged your skill level," Luo Zheng continued, "Comparing yourselves to me, you still have a long way to go."
"Besides, almost all the members of the Thunderous Society are present. With just the three of you, there's no chance of victory. Are you sure you want to struggle in vain?"
"To be honest, I'm not too interested in you. Hand over the Tree of Eternity directly, surrender all the buildings you've summoned to me, and perhaps I can offer you a more comfortable death."
Upon hearing this, the Three Dragon Kings laughed.
Long Yi scornfully said, "You want the Eternal Tree? It's right there in the Chaos Forest, visible to anyone with eyes. If you have the ability, go and take it!"
"But. I'm afraid you won't get the chance!"
In the midst of his words, Long Yi let out a roar filled with overwhelming pressure, instantly transforming into a colossal dark dragon nearly a hundred meters in length. Simultaneously, Zhang San and Li Si also assumed their dragon forms -- one an Inferno Seven-Headed Drake, and the other a Golden Diamond Drake -- closely following behind the Abyssal Dragon of Darkness.
The terrifying aura of the three monarchs surged like a tsunami toward Tien City. The ordinary city defense soldiers of Tien City, having never encountered such a formidable spectacle, fell like dominos under the threefold Dragon Fear.
"Insolent fools! If that's the case, then you die!" Luo Zheng commanded, "Xing Rong, hold off for now. This old man alone is sufficient to deal with these three!"
Xing Rong and the Thunderous Society Heroes were daunted by the strength displayed by the Darkness's Three Titans. Though not trembling in fear, the prowess and intimidation from the three monarchs indeed exceeded their expectations. Now, receiving their leader's command, they were momentarily stunned. The president intended to take on the Three Titans alone?
Back when Grand Duke Bachor faced such a situation, it ended in disaster. Moreover, Grand Duke Bachor was a warrior, while Luo Zheng was a caster. In a scenario where their strengths were comparable, magicians would be at a disadvantage against higher-level dragons, presenting a significant disadvantage. However, they could also speculate that if the president dared to utter such words publicly, he must have his own confidence and reliance."