The Blood Demon Half-Saint had been wounded by Yang Kai's Azure Dragon Spear earlier, but it was nothing more than a slender scratch. Such a wound, let alone on a Half-Saint, would be negligible on anyone.
So the Blood Demon had paid it no mind. But after clashing with Yang Kai for a while, he abruptly realized something was wrong with the wound.
"Realize it now? Isn't that a little too late?" Yang Kai grinned savagely. Seizing the opening, he thrust his spear straight for the Blood Demon's chest.
The Blood Demon's mind was already unsettled, and with the Stone Demon's fate fresh in his memory, he didn't dare face this strike head-on. Not only did he refuse to block it—he no longer had any will to continue fighting. All he wanted was to find somewhere safe to tend to his wounds. He had a growing feeling that if he didn't heal soon, he would be in serious trouble.
So when confronted with this dragon-like thrust, the Blood Demon's body blurred, spinning rapidly in place. The boundless sea of blood spun with him, rapidly contracting, and in the blink of an eye, the vast crimson ocean vanished entirely as the Blood Demon fled using his Blood Escape.
Yang Kai's spear pierced empty air. He felt a flicker of annoyance, but couldn't say he was truly disappointed. Having already slain one Half-Saint with Lan Xun and the others' assistance was an unexpected windfall—how could he expect another?
However, with the Blood Demon gone, the Shadow Demon found himself in an awkward position. He had been hiding within the sea of blood to contend with Li Wuyi, borrowing the Blood Demon's power. Now that the ocean was gone, facing Li Wuyi in single combat put him at an immediate disadvantage.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted Yang Kai spurring his mount and charging in his direction, now free to join the fight. The Shadow Demon knew that if he didn't flee now, he might not get another chance.
The thought of retreat took root, and whatever fighting spirit he had left evaporated.
Just as he was about to feint and escape after the Blood Demon, Yang Kai launched himself skyward and shot straight toward him. Midair, the Azure Dragon Spear flickered and vanished, stored away. Yang Kai's hands rapidly formed seals, his expression solemn as he brought his palm crashing down toward the Shadow Demon. His low murmur carried across the battlefield: "The withering and flourishing of time—shuttle and dream."
Time itself seemed to halt in that instant. Thought froze. The entire world receded like a tide, and all that remained in his vision was Yang Kai's descending palm.
Had it been the Yang Kai of old, this Years Like a Shuttle Seal might not have carried such devastating power. But within the Ancient Battlefield, he had witnessed the Time Great Emperor deploy this very divine ability countless times. He dared not claim he had grasped all its essence, but he was far beyond what he had been before.
By the time the Shadow Demon snapped back to awareness, he found his chest caved inward. Li Wuyi's expression was calm as he pressed his broad palm against the Shadow Demon's chest, the power of the Space Laws rampaging freely through his body.
That single instant of distraction meant he hadn't even registered when Li Wuyi had struck.
The Shadow Demon coughed up blood, his face contorted in horror.
Yang Kai had already drawn the Azure Dragon Spear once more. A heaven-shaking dragon's roar erupted as he drove the spear forward with savage force.
The dragon-tooth spearhead struck the Shadow Demon's body dead center. With a deafening boom, the Shadow Demon exploded, dissolving into a plume of black mist that scattered in every direction.
Li Wuyi frowned, flicking his fingers outward several times. A muffled grunt echoed faintly from the void, followed by complete silence.
Li Wuyi sighed softly. "He still managed to escape."
Combined with Yang Kai's strength and a superb opportunity, they had still fallen short in the end. It wasn't that either of them lacked power—at the Half-Saint level, killing an opponent was simply that difficult. This was precisely why the two sides had clashed for days without a single Half-Saint falling. It was also why Yang Kai's earlier killing of the Stone Demon Half-Saint had caused such an uproar.
The Shadow Demon was inherently skilled at escape and concealment. Surviving in a critical moment was hardly surprising. Had it been a Stone Demon, Force Demon, or Bone Demon instead, they might truly have perished here.
Yang Kai nodded in agreement. "What a shame." Then he shifted tone. "But that fellow probably took a serious hit. He won't recover without at least a year or two."
Li Wuyi nodded and glanced around. "Let's prepare to evacuate this area."
"These might come in handy for everyone." Yang Kai produced numerous Realm Beads and handed them to Li Wuyi.
Li Wuyi's expression brightened as he took them. "Your timing couldn't be better." He had been somewhat worried—all fourteen armies of the Star Boundary had converged here, and the sheer number of people was staggering. Even with a withdrawal, casualties seemed inevitable. But with these Realm Beads to assist, losses could be minimized.
The Jiazi Army's command banner waved, and orders rippled downward. The fourteen armies of the Star Boundary began pulling back in unison, converging on a valley within the Star God Palace. Despite the enormous numbers, the retreat was orderly.
The demon race, seeing this, naturally gave chase. Among the vanguard, the fighting grew even more brutal than in previous days. Without the Star Boundary armies holding their ground, the demonic soil's expansion surged forward, rapidly devouring the Star God Palace's territory.
Atop a spirit peak, three graceful figures stood with their backs to one another in a triangular formation. All around them—above, below, and on every side—the demons had encircled them so tightly that not even air could pass through. Fierce, predatory gazes swept over the three young women, occasionally glinting with a vulgar light.
After days of fierce battle, though the three girls hailed from distinguished backgrounds and possessed deep reserves of strength, they could hold on no longer. Their Emperor Yuan had been depleted countless times, and they now relied entirely on spirit pills and medicinal elixirs to sustain their energy.
To buy their companions a chance to retreat, the three girls had held down a force a hundred times their number. Now isolated and without aid, they looked like tiny rocks adrift in a dark ocean.