A shadow assassin failed to dodge in time, struck by the serpent lightning. Instantly, his hair bristled on end and the stench of burning flesh rose from his body. The serpent lightning detonated upon contact with the assassin's frame, erupting outward into a web of electricity that blanketed the entire sky.
One by one, the shadow demon assassins went rigid, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. The pursuing aerial riders didn't even glance back—they simply nocked arrows in reverse and loosed them. Powerful shafts pierced through the chests of the shadow demon assassins and exited through their backs, tearing open gaping wounds of blood.
A single star-cloud lightning bolt had exposed every last shadow demon assassin, while their own aerial riders hadn't suffered so much as a scratch. The precision with which Yu and Lu controlled their shamanic arts was plain to see.
With no more threats lurking behind them, the aerial riders once again unleashed terrifying combat effectiveness, continuously providing powerful support to their companions below.
Shaya had dispatched three waves of assassins in succession, yet not a single aerial rider had been killed. Instead, she had lost a great many of her own. She was practically driven to madness with fury.
On the battlefield, the demon race and the barbarians had fully engaged. The demonified humans served as the vanguard, but the strategy of having the Red Demons hold the rear produced no effect whatsoever. Instead, the barbarian forces had pushed deep into demon territory at one point, forcing the demons to fight back desperately.
The sand people, relying on their wondrous ability to burrow through the earth, constantly sowed chaos on the battlefield. This did have some effect, causing a number of casualties on the Shaman Bull Tribe's side.
However, under the blessing of the Life Chain, all ten regular squads of barbarians shared their vitality as one. Even if someone sustained injuries that should have proved fatal, they wouldn't die immediately. Instead, the damage was distributed, and other clansmen would replenish their life force.
By this point in the battle, the demons had suffered hundreds of casualties. The barbarians, on the other hand, hadn't lost a single person.
The Life Chain truly deserved its reputation as the most critical shamanic art in large-scale barbarian warfare. With such a spell binding them together, the people of the Shaman Bull Tribe would even dare to take on a dragon!
Shaya was beginning to lose her composure.
She was paying a heavy price for her rash decision.
At the start of the battle, she had believed the Red Demons' surprise attack would quickly seal victory. Yet the Red Demons she had deployed turned out to be utterly ineffective.
The Shadow Demon clan that followed had been routed as well.
Though the two armies were roughly equal in numbers, their actual combat strength was worlds apart.
Shaya had no choice but to deploy the most powerful force she had left.
When the roar of beasts rang out, the earth shook. It was as if a thousand cavalrymen were charging forward—the demon cavalry surged onto the battlefield, each rider a towering figure wreathed in black energy, mounted on ferocious-looking demonic beasts. They tore through the battlefield unchecked, and not a single barbarian could stand in their path. Everywhere they passed, men and beasts were sent tumbling. The demons' crumbling momentum began to turn.
The remaining demons, bolstered by this cavalry charge, launched a counterattack against the barbarians, pushing the battle line back.
The arrows loosed by the aerial riders proved of little use—the demonic beasts had thick, leathery skin, and the shafts that struck them were like nothing more than an itchy scratch.
"It's our turn," Yu and Lu said in unison, their expressions grave.
Over a dozen shamans of varying ranks straightened their backs. The older ones were somewhat composed, but the younger shamans were visibly nervous. Stepping onto a real battlefield for the first time, watching people fall one after another—it shook them to their core.
But to halt the demon cavalry's advance, they were the only ones who could help now.
The guard detail escorted the group of shamans toward the center of the battlefield. Shaya's gaze drifted in their direction, her dark brows furrowing. She didn't know what the barbarians were planning, but a sense of unease gnawed at her heart.
"You're finished," a voice suddenly spoke from somewhere nearby.
Shaya startled violently. She whipped her head around and immediately saw a green figure had appeared beside her out of thin air.
She nearly leaped to her feet. With her level of strength, she hadn't sensed how this person had gotten here at all. If he had launched an ambush just now, could she have blocked it?
Perhaps... she might have... probably...
But still—during the clash of two armies, why had this guy left his position at the rear and suddenly appeared on her side?
As if a thought had struck her, Shaya pressed her lips together and smiled. "Have you considered accepting the embrace of the Great Demon God?"
Yang Kai turned his head to glance at her and broke into a grin. "I'm considering it. Of course, if you could remove this green poison from me, I'd be much more sincere about it."
Shaya let out a derisive snort. "Don't be delusional. The Green Demon's poison cannot be cured—unless... you become my slave."
Yang Kai frowned. "Is that the only way?"
"The only way," Shaya confirmed.
Yang Kai nodded.
Shaya smiled faintly, her charm radiating in every gesture. "These past two days have been rough, haven't they? I'll be honest—I'm a bit surprised you've managed to stay lucid for two full days. But the longer you hold out, the more you'll suffer."
Yang Kai sighed. "Even now, I'm in agonizing pain."
Shaya tilted her head. "Doesn't really look like it to me."