The assassin who had come to strike from the shadows missed his first attempt and immediately fled, well-versed in the art of assassination.
Though the assassin had gotten away, he had been injured by Qiong Qi's covert intervention—the bloodstains on the ground were proof enough.
Just then, Ying Fei, the commandant of the Flying Eagle Town, came streaking over from the distance like a bolt of lightning, his face tight with urgency. When he drew close, he cupped his fists and said hurriedly, "Sir, word has come from Commander Li—several Demon Race Half-Saints have vanished from the battlefield. The Commander asks that you..." He cut off mid-sentence, glancing down at the blood on the ground, then at Yao Si and the others, including Yang Xiao and Yang Xue. Understanding dawned on his face. "They've already come?"
Yao Si nodded. "We have Senior Qiong Qi's covert protection to thank for that."
Qiong Qi made no claim to credit, merely waving a hand with an air of indifference before returning to his place among the bodyguard contingent. He stood there with his aura suppressed, indistinguishable from anyone else save for his rather fierce-looking features.
Yao Si looked up at Ying Fei and asked, "Did the Commander say how many Half-Saints had disappeared?"
"Five—all Shadow Demons!"
Yao Si let out a cold chuckle. "I knew it had to be them." To slip silently to his side undetected, giving no warning until the moment they struck—the only race in the Demon Race capable of such a feat was the Shadow Demons.
Shadow Demons were already notoriously difficult to deal with, and these were Half-Saints at that. Had Qiong Qi not been standing guard nearby, Yao Si would have suffered a nasty surprise. Being killed was out of the question—he still had several life-saving treasures on his person—but ending up covered in dust and bruises would have been unavoidable.
While the two were still talking, a colossal figure suddenly materialized several thousand li away—a being whose head reached the heavens and whose feet trampled the earth, like some primordial giant. The figure was ethereal and insubstantial, yet unmistakably the image of Ghost Emperor.
The real Ghost Emperor had long since pursued the Demon Saints far from this location and was nowhere near the battlefield. The appearance of his image several thousand li away could only mean that some Corps Commander had activated the Emperor-level divine ability sealed within their Corps Commander's Token, summoning the Emperor's phantom projection.
The Ghost Emperor's image flickered once and vanished.
Those who witnessed it from afar in the Jizi Army understood immediately. Those five Shadow Demon Half-Saints had broken away from the battlefield and likely scattered, heading out to assassinate the various Corps Commanders. The Jizi Army had Qiong Qi's covert protection, and the Shadow Demon Half-Saint sent to assassinate Yao Si had been repelled—but other Corps Commanders might not have someone as powerful as Qiong Qi watching over them.
In this moment of mortal peril, their only recourse was to activate the divine abilities sealed within their Corps Commanders' Tokens to fend off the enemy.
No one knew yet whether that Corps Commander several thousand li away was alive or dead.
Ying Fei read the worry in Yao Si's eyes and cupped his fists, volunteering, "Your subordinate is willing to go and investigate."
Yao Si considered for a moment, then nodded. "Be careful. Get there and back quickly."
Ying Fei dipped his head. A pair of enormous black wings unfurled from his back, and with a roar of howling wind, he shot into the sky and raced off in that direction.
Yao Si turned his attention away from the distant commotion and looked instead toward the Jizi Army's battlefield, where the six-hundred-thousand-strong demon horde had already lost all capacity to fight back against the Jizi Army's formidable battle formations. The three vanguard towns charged back and forth in killing runs, and the Angry Flood Dragon, Sky Fox, Falling Blossom, and Spirit Snake towns were not to be outdone—even the Heavenly Phoenix Town, which bore the responsibility of oversight, had charged into the fray under Liu Yan and Su Yan's lead, slaughtering enemies at will.
Nearly nine hundred thousand combatants locked in a desperate struggle across a battlefield spanning several hundred li. The ground had turned to a muddy quagmire, and as far as the eye could see, corpses lay strewn everywhere.
After watching for a time, Yao Si could tell the outcome was decided. It was only a matter of time before the Jizi Army devoured these six hundred thousand demons down to the last.
A short while later, Ying Fei returned. Yao Si looked over, and Ying Fei immediately reported, "The other four Shadow Demon Half-Saints have all revealed themselves, but none achieved anything of note. The only casualty was Ma Qing, Corps Commander of the Dingwu Army, who was severely wounded. The other three assassination attempts all ended in failure."
Yao Si nodded lightly. "Is there any danger to his life?"
Ying Fei replied, "Rest easy, sir. By the time your subordinate arrived, Muna, the clan leader of the Wood Spirit Race, was already personally treating Commander Ma's injuries. He may not recover immediately, but his life should not be in danger."
"That's good to hear."
Ying Fei glanced over his shoulder at the clamorous battlefield behind him, then turned back and said with some hesitation, "Sir, the battle is essentially decided at this point—what do you think about...?"
Yao Si chuckled. "You want to fight?"
Ying Fei replied, "It's no fun just watching." He was an Demon King, after all, with a heavy thirst for battle. Though Yang Kai had appointed him as commandant of the Flying Eagle Town to oversee reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, the demons were now collapsing like a landslide with nothing left to spy on. Naturally, he wanted to join the fight and scratch that itch.
Yao Si considered for a moment, then waved a hand without a word.
Ying Fei's face lit up with delight. "Thank you, sir!" He spun around and charged gleefully toward the battlefield, plunging into the fray in moments. Wherever his razor-sharp claws swept through the air, showers of blood rained down.
The battle raged for an entire day and night. By the time not a single demon remained on the battlefield, the Jizi Army finally began to quiet. Soldiers turned to look around at one another—every last one of them radiating killing intent, every one looking as though they had waded out of a sea of blood, drenched head to toe, soaked in the blood of their enemies and their own alike.
After a brief moment of silence, the roar of celebration erupted skyward, shaking the heavens!