Qian Ye stepped out of the cave, and the mountain breeze hit him with a chill, carrying with it the scent of blood and gunpowder.
He gazed far into the distance where the battle raged. Smoke from the fighting filled the land, and the sound of explosions echoed continuously. At the edge of his sight, a tall, solitary peak suddenly swayed, slowly collapsing amidst a cloud of dust that rose to block out the sky.
Further off in the distance, the remnants of the Zhang clan’s army moved through a rift in the earth.
In the sky, countless black dots rapidly approached. Among them were lone powerhouses and fast-moving floating ships. However, most of these ships were small and unorganized, not daring to approach the Zhang clan’s main fleet. They landed kilometers away, deployed their troops, and then took off again to return.
Compared to the swarm of enemy forces, the human side seemed overwhelmingly outnumbered.
Qian Ye leaped up, heading swiftly towards the nearest battlefield.
The area was a hilly terrain, where a group of human soldiers held a lone high ground—a stone hill—and fought fiercely against the dark race’s assault. More than a hundred dark warriors surrounded the peak, launching a ferocious attack. Midway down the hill stood thirty or so people, with a second-tier viscount standing at the center, his hands clasped behind his back, watching the battle on the summit with cold eyes.
The human soldiers numbered only around twenty, far fewer and weaker than their foes, but they worked together seamlessly, clearly experienced in team combat.
A dozen soldiers in front held shields and swords, fearlessly defending against the dark warriors’ charge, while several in the rear provided fire support, pouring bullets into the enemy ranks without hesitation. Despite the odds, these two squads managed to hold off the onslaught of several times their number.
Though the situation was dire, the viscount remained unperturbed, gathering most of the barons and knights close to him, not sending them to join the attack. Otherwise, the battle on the summit would not be in a stalemate.
He occasionally looked up at the sky, as if waiting for something.
A kilometer away, Qian Ye crouched behind a pile of rocks, his scope already centered on the viscount. Noticing the viscount’s apparent wait, Qian Ye did not rush to act, instead observing what he was up to.
Soon, the human soldiers on the summit began to falter, and the casualties among the dark warriors also increased.
The viscount sneered, “It seems the humans aren’t wasting any ammunition on these worthless fools. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to keep them alive. Follow me!”
He let out a long howl, his body swelling and fur sprouting as he transformed into a werewolf, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
But his howl abruptly stopped mid-scream as he lurched forward, nearly falling to the ground. Only then did everyone see the spray of blood and flesh fragments behind him, his neck almost severed, and his wolf head limp and hanging down.
Stunned, the surrounding subordinates barely reacted. In their shock, two barons’ heads exploded, followed by the knights. The survivors finally noticed the distant gunfire, which had been masked by the chaos of the battlefield.
Qian Ye stowed his gun, glanced at the battlefield, and turned to leave. With the main commander dead and most of the strong ones taken out, the dark force was in disarray. The human soldiers on the summit, even if they couldn’t win, could still escape. The dark race’s advance was overwhelming, and Qian Ye did not want to waste too much origin power on the lower-ranking dark warriors.
As Qian Ye chose his next target, he suddenly turned, his gaze fixed on a point to the east. There, he sensed a familiar source of origin power.
He bent his body, bounding over the rugged terrain like a wild beast, quickly approaching the area using the landscape for cover.
Soon, Qian Ye reached a hilltop, overlooking the battlefield below.
Between two hills lay a natural valley, a complex and rocky terrain with numerous caves on both sides, a perfect battlefield.
However, this desolate land, usually devoid of greenery, now inexplicably sported a lush oasis in the middle of the battlefield. Ancient trees swayed in the wind, leaves swirling, and rainbows appearing intermittently, creating an ethereal scene.
At the center of the oasis, a clear spring shimmered, with a boulder standing nearby. This odd, yellowish stone, lacking any elegance or natural beauty, seemed out of place in the picturesque setting.
The sudden appearance of the oasis in the barren wilderness made it impossible to ignore. And the moving, yellowish boulder drew the most attention.
Qian Ye recognized this as a domain battle, though the vivid imagery was rare.
Domain battles involved controlling the origin power in the environment, using it to enhance one’s own strength and attack the opponent. When the controlled powers clashed, they manifested visually, creating these domains.
But why was the oasis so lifelike? Could the water and grass have offensive properties?
Seeing the leaves, Qian Ye guessed, and his eyes turned blue, activating his true vision. The illusion cleared, revealing the true battlefield.
In the valley, hundreds of fighters were engaged in a fierce battle, with most being dark warriors and less than a hundred human soldiers. At the core, ten viscounts were attacking four human generals. One of the humans, Song Qigong, stood gracefully, wielding a fan and looking as if he were enjoying a spring day, not a life-and-death struggle.
Song Qigong was neither armored nor armed, nor wearing his usual silver mask. His fan flicked open and closed, as if he were merely admiring the scenery.
Beside him, a burly youth roared, fighting with great power, holding off seven viscounts, including two second-tier ones, with incredible bravery.
But fighting many, he was at a disadvantage, often getting hit, screaming in pain. Yet, he always jumped back into the fray, undeterred. This reckless fighter was none other than Wei Potian.
Two other human generals, at level ten, each faced a third-tier viscount, struggling to gain the upper hand. A first-tier viscount, not yet engaged, stood opposite Song Qigong.
Qian Ye noticed the blood noble wasn’t idle; his face grim, his aura boiling, clashing with Song Qigong’s domain. Ferocious beasts emerged from his aura, lunging at Song Qigong, but they fell into the central pond, drowning.
Confused, Qian Ye saw the blood beasts drown, a phenomenon defying logic.
Realizing the critical situation, Qian Ye took out his Shadow Elegy, spreading his wings, and the gun gleamed with a dark gold.
He aimed briefly, pulled the trigger. The gun recoiled, and a faint light shot out, piercing a flaw in Song Qigong’s domain and hitting a viscount’s back.
Song Qigong’s expression changed, and he instinctively clenched his fan. He felt a powerful dark origin power enter his domain, perfectly timed and placed, exploiting a weakness.
This was a true master!
Song Qigong’s hair stood on end. He threw his fan, repelling the blood noble, and retrieved his silver gun. As he grabbed the gun, the box shattered, and he grasped the handle.
The origin bullet continued, striking another viscount. The wolf-man, attacking Wei Potian, exploded in a shower of blood.
Song Qigong realized the pattern and pointed, causing his domain to show more flaws. Another origin bullet appeared, hitting another viscount.
The dark forces, sensing the danger, retreated. The blood noble, furious, shouted, “Retreat!” and fled.
One of the viscounts, emerging from the domain, saw Qian Ye blocking his path. He snarled, “Get out of my way!” and charged.
Qian Ye did not dodge, colliding with the viscount. The impact sent the viscount staggering, and Qian Ye, advancing, decapitated him with a swing of his sword.
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