Chapter 256: This is War

After the first Atua warrior self-detonated, several more followed, each explosion fiercely assaulting the Death Domain, clearing a path for their comrades to advance further.

Not every Atua warrior possessed crystals; only those with noticeably superior strength had them and thus the ability to self-detonate. These exceptionally strong warriors charged at the front, and when they could no longer move forward, they would self-detonate without hesitation, creating space, even if just a few meters or a single meter, for their fellow warriors.

Wave after wave of self-detonations moved Palacia, and even the lofty Death Domain began to waver.

It must be said that the Atua warriors found the most effective way to utilize their strength: self-detonation. Only by self-detonating could they bypass their significant disadvantages in equipment and tactics. However, this method was exceedingly tragic.

The charging Atua warriors, however, did not feel this way. All eyes were fixed on Palacia. They pressed forward, determined to pave a path with their blood and flesh to reach him.

But what then, once they reached Palacia?

“What else?” After the initial shock, the Lord of Mesfield’s face was left with only a cold smile.

In an instant, only a hundred or so warriors remained, none capable of self-detonating. Without the forceful impact of self-demons, Palacia’s Death Domain became unassailable again, and the Atua warriors quickly faded.

The demon descendants, who had been waiting, launched another attack, using the power of the Death Domain to mercilessly reap the lives of the remaining Atua warriors. For a time, the Death Domain turned into a field of ruthless slaughter.

At this point, the closest Atua warrior was still thirty meters from Palacia. A distance that could be covered in a single leap, yet it now seemed insurmountable.

“Even the bravest ants are still ants,” the demon lord declared coldly.

As the demon descendants were reaping lives, the sky suddenly darkened, and two towering figures almost blocked out the sky! Two giant battle gods descended, charging at the demon descendants directly under Palacia’s command.

Most of these demon descendants were from the Mesfield family, many of whom had close blood ties to Palacia. Experienced in numerous battles, they saw the charging battle gods as full of vulnerabilities.

These strong warriors acted decisively, striking like lightning, and in an instant, the two battle gods were riddled with countless wounds.

Though they had struck successfully, the experienced demon descendants did not feel joy. The victory seemed too easy, as the battle gods did not even resist, let alone fight back.

A keen-eyed noble demon instantly saw one battle god’s hand plunge into his own chest. In that moment, his mind went blank, and he shouted, “Quick, dodge!”

But it was too late.

Two explosions engulfed everything, forming mushroom clouds within the Death Domain, rising with a deafening blast that shook the heavens.

In this extraordinary scene, all the demon descendants involved were torn to shreds, becoming part of the storm of flesh and blood. Even within a range of dozens of meters, the Death Domain was completely cleared!

The self-detonation of two grand dukes, no matter how described, was immensely powerful. As Palacia was shocked, the last battle god appeared before the demon lord, his hand reaching for his own chest.

However, a pale, slender hand with distinct knuckles grasped his wrist, halting the battle god’s hand, unable to penetrate deeper. He had touched his crystal, but he had lost the strength to crush it.

Palacia gazed into the battle god’s eyes, slowly saying, “Ants are ants. Do you think your sacrifices mean anything? As long as I stand, even if the Mesfield family has only one member left, it will always be a noble demon family.”

The last battle god tried to speak, but no sound came out. His body had already stiffened, and his barely moving eyes looked around, seeing the indiscriminate remains of flesh and blood. Finally, two tears rolled down his cheeks.

Although the Death Domain was shaken, Palacia’s defenses were almost intact, and the expected decisive blow did not come.

The battle was lost.

Qian Ye’s hand was as steady as a rock, his finger poised on the trigger, unmoving. This was when Palacia’s Death Domain was at its weakest, but also when his defenses were strongest. Even if a hit landed, it would hardly cause any damage, and such an opportunity would not come again.

Palacia suddenly raised his head, sneering, “I knew there would be more than this.”

A figure appeared in the air, descending at an incredible speed, heading straight for Palacia!

A gray mist shot from Palacia’s brow, like a sharp gray blade, piercing the incoming figure. The figure did not dodge, allowing the sharp gray mist to pass through its forehead, and it fell like a meteor, spearing both hands into Palacia’s shoulders!

It was Su Wen.

Palacia’s eyes met Su Wen’s, filled with admiration, “You injured me, very good!”

Su Wen’s spear pierced through Palacia’s defensive field, then through his shoulder armor, sinking in about a finger’s depth, nothing more.

To injure the Lord of Mesfield, even for the Atua’s sacred guardians, was a miracle. Yet, the war was lost. Originally, the strength disparity was immense, and to have fought this far was already a noble defeat.

But Su Wen did not see it that way. She shouted, “Atua will never be defeated!” and her left hand plunged into her chest, unleashing a storm of flesh and blood that engulfed Palacia!

Moments later, the figure of the Lord of Mesfield reappeared, surrounded by floating pieces of flesh and blood, with only an empty spear remaining on his shoulder, the girl holding it gone.

Not a single shred of the flesh and blood stuck to Palacia. For the Lord of Mesfield, being splattered by the blood of primitive natives was an unimaginable humiliation.

Palacia’s face turned ashen, and the continuous attacks had enraged him. He wanted to turn back and find his useless subordinates, but he suddenly felt something, and his long hair flew wildly.

In an instant, he turned, looking back, and saw a bullet surrounded by black wings approaching slowly.

Palacia did not have time to draw his sword, raising his hand to block the strange origin bullet. He heard a dull thud, and the bullet pierced his palm, the black wings dissipating.

The origin bullet continued, piercing Palacia’s weakened defensive field, through his breastplate, and into his chest, emerging from his back.

Palacia’s body suddenly swelled, as if inflated, expanding several times its size. But a dark demonic aura appeared on his face, and his swollen body was gradually compressed, returning to normal.

Another thud, and the wounds on his chest and back exploded, releasing a burst of gray mist. This was the chaotic origin energy contained in the bullet, forcibly expelled by Palacia’s immense demonic aura.

Watching the thread of chaotic origin energy fall, Palacia instinctively reached out to catch it, only to find it surprisingly heavy. This extreme weight brought extreme sharpness, and the thread of chaotic origin energy cut through Palacia’s hand, falling to the ground and slicing a fine crack before disappearing.

Palacia, expressionless, suddenly took to the air, flying towards the distant horizon.

He fled, abandoning his twenty or so surviving subordinates.

Everything happened too fast. Only when Palacia ascended to the clouds did Su Shi’s heart-wrenching cry escape his throat, “No!!”

Qian Ye leaped, his figure flashing, appearing where Palacia had been. But he did not expect the Lord of Mesfield to be so resolute, fleeing without hesitation, leaving Qian Ye’s pursuit in vain.

Qian Ye looked up, watching Palacia, now a distant figure in the clouds, and did not pursue. Instead, he turned his gaze to the remaining Eternal Night warriors.

The Eternal Night warriors had no time to react. When Qian Ye appeared, only a few realized what had happened. They turned and fled, not wanting to stay and fight. If the Lord of Mesfield had fled, what was the point of staying, to die?

The other Eternal Night warriors, though slower, also realized and scattered in an instant.

This sudden change and Qian Ye’s fearsome reputation made the Eternal Night warriors instinctively choose to flee. It was known that Qian Ye’s combat power far surpassed ordinary dukes, and his strikes were deadly, often resulting in death. Confronting Qian Ye meant certain death, with little chance of survival.

This made Qian Ye the most dreaded opponent for the Eternal Night warriors. Even if Ye Xiu’s strength might surpass Qian Ye, they preferred to face her.

Despite knowing that if they fought together, Qian Ye would lose, his defeat would not prevent him from retreating and taking a few lives before fleeing. The Eternal Night warriors, with their long lives, did not want to be the unlucky ones.

Seeing the strong warriors scatter, Qian Ye had a plan. He moved like lightning, cutting down seven or eight before the others managed to escape.

The battle decided, Qian Ye returned to find Su Shi kneeling in the center of the battlefield, holding a handful of soil mixed with flesh and blood, his body trembling.

The soil in his hands was mixed with the remains of Su Wen, the three battle gods, and the demon descendants. Once enemies, they were now one, inseparable.

Hearing Qian Ye’s footsteps, Su Shi looked up, his voice trembling, “Why didn’t you chase the Destroyer Black Devil?”

Qian Ye was silent for a moment, then said, “This is war.”