Chapter 156: The Darkened Heavens

“Everything is a matter of probability. There’s always a chance for mistakes, but as long as we stick to making decisions with higher probabilities, our chances of error will be lower than our opponents’, and victory will be on our side,” An Wen replied.

“If war could be decided by numbers, that would be ideal,” the Witch said coldly.

“At least so far, my winning percentage isn’t bad.”

“A weak commander like you is truly rare.”

An Wen was unfazed, “Strength and weakness should be viewed over a century or even a millennium. When one day you also wish to explore the depths of the void, you’ll understand the meaning of numbers.”

“No matter how significant the meaning of numbers, it can’t compare to absolute power. No, look over there, why are the Spider Devils and the Blood Kin mixing together?”

An Wen looked into the distance and saw that the Spider Devil forces were indeed merging with the Blood Kin troops, reorganizing according to some pattern. Their movements were skilled, clearly indicating a pre-planned scheme rather than a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“Let them be,” An Wen said.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from the front, and flames erupted on the horizon. The Demonkind vanguard had entered the Empire’s fortress range, and the battle had begun.

The numbers around An Wen increased several fold, countless formulas falling in a torrent, eventually transforming into a series of commands, transmitted to each Demonkind unit.

Each Demonkind team responded accordingly, coordinating with one another, weaving an overwhelming net of fire, overpowering the firepower of the Imperial fortress in one fell swoop.

But though the Imperial fortress was at a disadvantage, it was incredibly tenacious. No matter how hard it was hit, its counterfire never ceased. As the Demonkind forces spread out to the flanks, more fortresses began to spew fire, curbing the Demonkind’s offensive.

In another direction, Ye Tu stood in mid-air, with Luo Le by her side.

This pride of the Spider Devils was extremely respectful before Ye Tu, saying, “The troop reorganization is complete. What do you think…”

“Attack,” Ye Tu’s words were always concise.

Luo Le’s spirits lifted, and he gestured forward. Amidst the blaring horns, the mixed forces of Spider Devils and Blood Kin surged towards the cluster of Imperial fortresses like a flood.

Within the second line of Imperial fortresses, there were several relatively large ones serving as central nodes, responsible for supporting and protecting the surrounding fortresses. When necessary, mobile units within the fortresses would also mobilize.

In the largest fortress, Jun Du Zhao sat quietly, eyes closed, meditating.

An officer rushed in, saying, “Sir! The dark race forces have started to flank and infiltrate. Should we dispatch the mobile units to intercept them?”

Jun Du Zhao slowly opened his eyes, “What’s the rush? The real battle hasn’t begun yet.”

He rose and left the room, floating up and taking a few steps to the fortress wall. Looking at the distant movements of the dark race forces, he said, “Call me when their strong warriors come out.”

“Yes, Sir.”

During the brief moment after Jun Du Zhao left, a faint figure slipped into his room, taking a box of origin bullets from the weapon rack and placing an identical box in its place.

The battle had erupted in full force, with hundreds of thousands of dark race troops pressing in, soon drawing the second, and even third lines of fortresses into the fray. In the chaos, no one noticed this small incident.

As the dark races advanced, the first line of Imperial fortresses began to be systematically destroyed, with the garrisoned defenders falling in organized formations. At this stage, both sides knew that neither would tolerate captives.

Strong warriors on both sides, whether on the ground or in the air, began to join the battle, with fighting breaking out in every corner. Strange whistling sounds frequently pierced the sky, as several strong warriors chased each other, zipping through the air. Bright sword lights or sheets of origin bullets would periodically rise from the ground, targeting aerial targets.

In front of the Imperial central fortress, a black pillar of fire soared, engulfing several counts, then ejecting their skeletons. The black fire was brutally dominant, swallowing and rolling over all these formidable warriors, leaving only bones.

Then, a long, agonized scream resounded as Luo Le burst out of the black fire. He had transformed into a massive Spider Devil, his golden body covered in dozens of black flames, one of his segmented legs missing, and his long sword now only half-its length.

Upon emerging from the black fire, he immediately flew back to his own formation, clearly severely injured, even abandoning the pride of the Spider Devils to prioritize survival.

Far in the sky, Duke Wei suddenly appeared, then spat a mouthful of blood, his face pale. He looked down and saw a patch of blood spreading across his chest, with black demonic energy swirling around the wound, blocking the healing effects of his Dawn Force.

Duke Wei took a deep breath, his face firming, and raised his long sword, ready to fight again. Before him, a dense cloud of demonic energy rolled, hiding the Witch’s form behind it.

Behind the Witch, another Demonkind duke floated in the air, ready to support her.

Duke Wei glanced at the Demonkind duke, then focused all his attention on the Witch, undistracted. It was because of that Demonkind duke that he had faltered. Now, even with his severe injuries, he was determined to fight to the death, his sword glowing increasingly brightly.

However, the Witch’s lock on Duke Wei suddenly vanished, her gaze turning to the distant pillar of black flame.

A surge of demonic energy, and the Witch disappeared from her spot, reappearing before the pillar of black flame, saying, “Jun Du Zhao, let’s finish the unfinished battle of the Unfallen City today!”

The black flames suddenly coiled back, all retracting into Jun Du Zhao, who stood with his hands behind his back, saying loudly, “Very well!”

The two most outstanding geniuses of the new generation from both sides were about to begin their unfinished battle.

But suddenly, Ye Tu’s icy voice echoed in their ears, “He is my opponent. Step aside.”

“What did you say?!” The Witch’s demonic energy roiled violently, clearly enraged.

“I told you to step aside,” Ye Tu gave her no face.

When had the Witch ever suffered such humiliation? Her demonic energy swelled and contracted, like labored breathing. But when Ye Tu’s cold gaze turned to her, she swallowed her anger and turned to leave. Instead of returning to her own zone, she directly flew away from the battlefield.

“Desertion, noted,” Ye Tu instructed her subordinates, then came before Jun Du Zhao.

Jun Du Zhao now carried a blue-black origin gun, its long barrel, slender body, and primitive single-shot design indicating its age. That it could be brought to the battlefield by the current Jun Du Zhao spoke to its extraordinary nature.

“Dusky Sky? This gun suits you well,” Ye Tu recognized the origin of the blue-black long gun at a glance.

Dusky Sky was one of the Empire’s masterpieces, though not among the top ten, and not as famous as the broken Dragon Spring sword in the Martial Ancestor’s hand, it was still a formidable weapon. Its presence in Jun Du Zhao’s hands underscored the Empire’s high regard for him.

Though Dusky Sky was sharp, its slow rate of fire was a clear drawback; a single miss would lose the initiative.

But in the hands of Jun Du Zhao, who possessed the divine skill of certain hits, Dusky Sky’s flaw vanished, and its powerful, long-range advantages could be fully exploited. With specially made origin bullets, Dusky Sky could wield the power of a renowned gun, capable of severely wounding even a duke with a single shot.

Hearing Ye Tu’s words, Jun Du Zhao said, “It suits you as well.”

Ye Tu smiled faintly, “Why not give it a try?”

“Where’s your Storm?”

“Only needed for dealing with a Sovereign.”

Jun Du Zhao’s pupils narrowed, “Very well, I’ll take advantage of you. This shot won’t be with full power. If you find it difficult to handle, step back. We’ll fight again tomorrow, and if we’re strangers, we’ll go all out. How about that?”

Ye Tu nodded, “Good.”

She reached out and grasped, and the long sword Jing Meng appeared in her hand. A casual wave sent out a shower of light, instantly covering an area of several thousand meters, nearly enveloping several nearby fortresses.

As the light fell, illusory flowers bloomed, and countless spirit birds fluttered among them. In an instant, Ye Tu’s domain covered the entire field.

This area was the battleground of the strong, where many had already deployed their domains, clashing and warring, each rising and falling in a myriad of bizarre and fantastical displays.

But as Ye Tu’s domain emerged, all others vanished, replaced by a sea of flowers and dancing spirit birds. Only Jun Du Zhao’s black flames remained, but they were compressed to within ten meters of his body, a poor comparison to Ye Tu’s sprawling, kilometer-wide domain.

Ye Tu was to use her domain and Jing Meng to face Jun Du Zhao’s Dusky Sky.

Despite appearing at a disadvantage in the domain contest, Jun Du Zhao showed no hint of panic. He picked up Dusky Sky, loaded a bullet, and steadily aimed at Ye Tu’s throat. Many on the Empire’s side watched, their eyes gleaming.

With the blessing of a certain hit, this shot might just turn the tide.

Ye Tu stood still, the distance between them barely a hundred meters, well within Dusky Sky’s optimal range, and too short to dodge easily.

Jun Du Zhao’s pupils constricted, and Dusky Sky shuddered as a long origin bullet left the chamber. Only then did the crisp gunshot echo in the distance.

Ye Tu’s hand became one with the void, and Jing Meng traced an indescribably beautiful arc, slicing through the air towards the origin bullet.

Though almost no one could see the bullet, everyone instinctively knew that Jing Meng’s strike would split it in two.

As the origin bullet flew midway, Jing Meng’s blade flashed, illuminating it and everyone’s hearts. Like the most beautiful dream, suddenly awakened by the sudden light.

But at that moment, the origin bullet flared with a dazzling light, like a sun rising, and the terrifying power it unleashed stopped everyone’s hearts!

In an instant, regardless of allegiance, all the strong warriors’ minds resonated with a single thought: Sovereign!