Chapter 0709 – Return

Crack!!

As the blood fiend aura was absorbed and refined, the massive blood-colored egg hidden in the secret space began to crack open. Ferocious claws tore through the shell from within, and blood-red figures emerged one after another, roaring with the joy of rebirth. They devoured the shattered shell eagerly, as though it were the most exquisite delicacy. Once consumed, their auras grew steadier and more robust.

Then, they began greedily absorbing the continuously converging blood fiend aura from their surroundings.

"Good! Good! Very good!!"

The Blood Demon Patriarch beamed with joy as he watched his clansmen being born one after another. This was the future of the Blood Demon Clan. He cried out ecstatically, "Absorb more! This fresh blood fiend aura is a treasure. The more you take in, the deeper your foundation, the greater your potential. You're just born—eat as much as you can. The more, the better!"

"Patriarch, something's wrong! The blood fiend aura is decreasing. Has the battle above ended?"

A Blood Demon clansman suddenly exclaimed.

They could clearly see the rate at which the blood-colored altar absorbed the aura drastically slowing down, the amount diminishing by the second.

What was blood fiend aura? It was the fusion of fresh blood and battlefield killing intent—the purest essence of blood, rooted in murderous qi. Even a single wisp was brimming with powerful life force and energy. For those who could absorb it, it was the ultimate tonic. Of course, not everyone could refine it; not everyone had the capacity.

It could only be forged on the battlefield.

The Blood Demon Patriarch, leveraging the altar beneath him, was able to draw blood and murderous aura together to condense this blood fiend aura. Without it, he would be forced to consume flesh and blood directly. Though that too increased strength, it paled in comparison to the blood fiend aura—which was pure, without impurities or side effects, and the ideal elixir. When no other option existed, flesh was the lesser substitute.

His cultivation method, the Ancient Blood Demon Scripture, was a top-tier technique of the blood path. Once a Blood Demon form was fully cultivated, one could control the blood of all living beings. Where there was blood, there was immortality.

The Blood Demon Clan thrived on blood.

But now, the blood fiend aura on the battlefield was rapidly dwindling. Something was clearly wrong. If the war had ceased, that was the last thing the Blood Demon Patriarch wanted.

"You all stay here. I'll go see what's going on."

With those words, he turned into a stream of light and shot toward the surface.

The blood light tunneled through the underground at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it reached the surface and appeared as an unremarkable red shadow on the battlefield. He scanned the area.

And saw—to his astonishment—that the massive human and orc armies, who should have been locked in deadly combat, had suddenly separated. The orc army had withdrawn and now stood in standoff against Xuanhuang City.

After three days and nights of slaughter, the battlefield was littered with corpses. Blood had soaked into the soil, turning it to mud—a horrifying scene of carnage.

Yi Tianxing stood face-to-face with King Behemoth.

"King Behemoth, although your orc alliance is vast and commands legions of vicious beasts, trying to breach my Iron-Blood Great Wall will only end in mutual destruction. That's an outcome neither of us wants. You clearly aren't willing to leave, but since you've invaded Xuanhuang City, I can't just let you walk away."

Yi Tianxing spoke calmly.

They had been attacked without cause. After such bloodshed and sacrifice, no one—especially not someone like Yi Tianxing—would simply let it go.

You strike me once, I strike ten times in return.

If King Behemoth tried to retreat now, Yi Tianxing wouldn't allow it. But to continue fighting meant certain losses on both sides. Neither could predict what trump cards the other held.

They were caught in a dilemma.

"Are you saying you want to settle this personally with me?" King Behemoth asked coldly.

Before arriving, he hadn't expected Xuanhuang City to be such a tough nut to crack.

The orc army had lost millions. The beasts alone numbered in the tens of millions. And even with such sacrifice, they hadn't breached the Iron-Blood Great Wall. He couldn't accept this.

Now, all that remained were elite troops who had survived the brutal battlefield. Throwing them back into combat was wasteful. Even if he were willing, other orc leaders likely wouldn't agree.

"Afraid, King Behemoth?"

Yi Tianxing said slowly.

"Hah! The words 'afraid' don't exist in Meng Wudi's life. You want to die? I'll grant your wish. We'll fight and settle this ourselves!"

King Behemoth agreed decisively.

"Not just yet. Tonight is the night of the full moon. You and I are both peak-level existences. If we are to duel, it should not be done hastily. Let our final battle be set for tonight, beneath the full moon."

Yi Tianxing suddenly proposed.

"Fine! Tonight, beneath the full moon—it shall be decided!"

King Behemoth looked up. It was daytime now, and nightfall was still a way off. That would give them time to regroup and rest.

Their eyes clashed midair—silent sparks of power and will flying between them.

With those words, the final duel was set.

"Full military readiness. Split into two shifts for rest. Provide the best rations, but remain alert. I'll return to the City Lord's Mansion to prepare for tonight's battle."

Yi Tianxing left these instructions and turned back.

With the battlefield paused, both sides began reorganizing and resting.

On the Iron-Blood Great Wall, a flash of blood-red light appeared. Then, the countless corpses on the battlefield—humans, orcs, and beasts—were swept away like a tide, devoured by the wall.

Even the blood soaked into the earth was absorbed and pulled into the wall.

This caused the Iron-Blood Great Wall to expand rapidly, spreading outward as it grew. Its total length reached 2,800 li.

The mountains of corpses vanished without a trace.

The Iron-Blood Great Wall was the battlefield's ultimate scavenger.

And with this, the number of black city bricks surged—now even exceeding the red ones.

Within the wall, countless battle souls could be heard howling, their battle cries shaking the sky. They shattered the lingering resentment and grievances locked in the black bricks, refining them completely and fusing them into the wall.

This eerie war chant rang hauntingly through the battlefield.

While the Xuanhuang side had long grown used to it, many orcs were disturbed. What was meant to be peaceful rest was now disrupted by ghostly battle cries that rattled the soul.

"Damn it, this cursed wall!"

Orcs all over the camp cursed aloud.

"That damned Iron-Blood Wall! It even devoured all the corpses. Unbelievable! If Yi Tianxing and King Behemoth fight and one dies, there'll be no turning back—it'll be war without end."

The Blood Demon Patriarch raged at the sight, cursing furiously.

But then, his eyes flashed slyly—an idea forming in his mind.

He didn't want peace. Chaos was the best time for his kind to thrive.

Meanwhile, in the Golden Sand Desert...

Yi Tianxing stood atop a green oasis. Before him stood a massive space gate, through which streams of soldiers marched.

The Valley of Generals had been destroyed, and the unaffiliated soldiers there had chosen to follow Yi Tianxing and head toward Xuanhuang City.

Of the four Grand Marshal Mansions, Feng Xianlin chose to stay in the oasis. Yue Qiang remained in the desert to rebuild his Yue Clan's kingdom. But Hua Mulan and Xue Kunlun led their troops to follow Yi Tianxing.

Including many veteran soldiers who'd become hunters, the total number following Yi Tianxing now exceeded one million.

News of Xuanhuang City's system—military rank promotion, abundant benefits—had drawn them in. Compared to being a hunter, it offered far greater growth.

And the military's nine-rank system awakened every soldier's desire to grow stronger.

Before long, the last soldier stepped through the gate.

"It's time to return," Yi Tianxing murmured. "Though I leave with some regrets—the Queen of Jingjue and her ancient city remain unexplored, and I haven't ventured into many of this desert's dangers—I've already gained so much: millions of citizens, a million elite soldiers, and comrades like Hua Mulan, Xue Kunlun, Jiang Ni, Wushuang Gui... I shouldn't be greedy. That's a fatal mistake."

He took a deep breath.

The Golden Sand Desert was mysterious, and many places still called to him. But time was limited—and he could feel it: something major was happening in Xuanhuang City.

He sensed a turbulence in the city's fortune. A change was unfolding.

He couldn't relax until he returned.

Leaving early was now a necessity.

"That Invincible General can travel between regions... there must be a domain gate. If I can find it, returning to the Golden Sand Desert in the future won't be difficult."

A new thought took root.

Domain gates were powerful—and dangerous. They offered opportunity, but also great risk.

Of course, with power, even disaster could become fortune.

"Return!!"

Yi Tianxing spoke calmly—but with unwavering resolve.