Chapter Thirty: The Bloodbath Ends
The earth-shattering roar within the Seven Mu Stone Fortress and the sudden cessation of the violent demonic energy acted like the most conspicuous signal flare, instantly igniting the already extremely tense nerves of the entire main camp.
"Legion Headquarters! Headquarters direction!"
"His Highness's aura...His Highness's aura has vanished?!"
"impossible!"
Chaos erupted like boiling oil being poured into cold water. Even without official notification, the news of their commander's sudden demise spread rapidly throughout the Seven Mu Legion through the terrifying, abrupt halt and the deathly silence from the direction of the stone fortress. Panic and fear consumed this once arrogant and valiant army at an unprecedented pace.
Leaderless, most of the lower-ranking officers and soldiers were plunged into immense confusion and fear. Accustomed to the tyranny and martial prowess of the Seven Mu, their pillar of support had suddenly collapsed, leaving them utterly bewildered. To fight? To surrender? For whom to fight?
However, not everyone will surrender easily.
Just as the camp was in chaos and panic, a deafening roar and terrifying energy fluctuations suddenly erupted from an exceptionally sturdy tent in the northwest corner of the camp!
"Who is it?! Who dares to kill the Sixth Prince?"
Sixth Elder Fan Jiao crashed through the top of the tent and soared into the sky. He was clad in heavy armor, wielding a ferocious giant axe, his body engulfed in raging crimson demonic flames, his hair and beard bristling, and his eyes bloodshot.
He already had a close relationship with Qi Mu, being both a political ally and carrying a familial bond (Qi Mu's mother was Fan Jiao's cousin). Furthermore, he was a staunch supporter and de facto military supervisor within Qi Mu's army. Qi Mu's sudden death not only meant a severe blow to their power but also instilled in him a profound sense of dread, a feeling of shared vulnerability, and utter madness.
"Gather! All the men who can still wield a knife, gather them up!" Fan Jiao's roar was like thunder, echoing throughout half the camp. "Avenge His Highness Qi Mu! Kill those scoundrels who plotted against His Highness! Crush them to the ground!"
Under his accumulated power and incitement, some of the most loyal followers of Qi Mu, or Fan Jiao's own personal guards, as well as a few desperate men whose ferocity had been stirred up, quickly rallied around him. They attempted to stabilize their position and, with Fan Jiao at the core, put up a final stand.
But at this moment, Shang Jiuya's side launched a full-scale offensive that had been planned for a long time.
"His Majesty has decreed! The Seven Mu have been executed! Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who resist stubbornly will be killed without mercy!"
Although Li Yue was seriously injured and unconscious for a moment, after Shang Jiuya urgently fed him the precious pills provided by Qing Cheng, he forcibly suppressed his injuries and struggled to organize the Shadow Guards and the few internal agents he had previously planted and turned against him, launching a general attack from inside the camp.
at the same time--
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The heavy, rhythmic beat of war drums boomed from the outskirts of the camp. Accompanying the drumbeats, countless torches were suddenly lit, enveloping the main camp like stars.
"The Border Legion is here! By order of the Demon Lord, we are here to punish the traitor Qi Mu and his followers!"
"Qi Mu is dead! You are surrounded! Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately!"
"Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"
The well-trained border warriors formed a tight square formation, magic crossbows were nocked, magic war beasts roared, and powerful legion-level defensive and offensive magic arrays began to shine, completely surrounding the camp.
Banners representing the Demon Lord's authority and the border legions fluttered in the torchlight, a stark contrast to the chaotic banners of the Seven Mu troops within the camp.
With no commander-in-chief within and a powerful enemy without, morale collapsed instantly.
Seeing this, many of the already hesitant Seven Mu soldiers lost all will to resist, discarding their weapons and kneeling in surrender. The die-hards who stubbornly resisted fell into even greater chaos, fighting each other independently.
"No surrender allowed! Anyone who dares to surrender, I'll chop them up first!" Fan Jiao roared in anger upon seeing this, and with a swing of his giant axe, he actually cleaved two fleeing soldiers who had dropped their weapons in two with a single blow, attempting to suppress the rout with bloody means.
However, this only hastened his demise.
Changdong stood on a high ground on the outskirts, coldly watching the chaos in the camp. He waved his hand.
The next moment, the legion's magic array shone brightly, and countless crossbow bolts, bypassing the area where people were kneeling and surrendering, shot towards Fan Jiao's troops who were still trying to resist.
Explosions rang out incessantly, and flames soared into the sky. Each salvo completely emptied a resistance zone; the legion-level firepower was simply beyond the capabilities of scattered, disorganized soldiers.
Fan Jiao's eyes were bloodshot with rage, but he was powerless. He could only wield his giant axe, deflecting the stray arrows aimed at him, roaring as he urged his dwindling number of loyal troops to charge forward. But his so-called defensive line crumbled rapidly under the precise strikes of Chang Dong's army and the constant attacks from his internal shadow guards.
Despite his injuries, Li Yue directed his shadow guards to move through the chaotic camp, specifically targeting low-ranking officers who were still organizing resistance, thus further dismantling the enemy's command structure.
Fan Jiao, on the other hand, had completely lost his mind. Seeing that all was lost, he roared and charged toward the stone fortress. He wanted to find the murderer of Qi Mu; he wanted revenge.
"Stop him!" Li Yue shouted sternly.
Several shadow guards and an elite squad under Chang Dong's command, which happened to be advancing nearby, immediately went to meet them.
However, Fan Jiao in his rage was terrifying. After all, he was an elder of the Demon Realm, possessing formidable strength. With each swing of his giant axe, crimson demonic flames scorched anything that approached. One shadow guard was a little too slow to dodge and was sent flying, weapon and all, his fate unknown. The battle formation of that elite squad was also forcefully breached by him.
"Get out of my way, you ants! Let that bitch Jiuya come out and die!" Fan Jiao roared, his eyes bloodshot, charging towards the stone fortress with a clear objective.
Just as he was about to break through the last barrier and approach the ruins of the stone fortress—
A figure as steady as a mountain stood in front of him.
He is a veteran demon general under Chang Dong, named Yan Gang, known for his defense and strength, and is also a veteran of countless battles.
"Elder Fan Jiao, stop here. The situation is hopeless; why add to the casualties?" Yan Gang said in a deep voice, slamming the heavy tower shield in his hand onto the ground with a dull thud.
"Those who block my way shall die!" Fan Jiao ignored all words and brought down his giant axe with destructive power.
"boom!!"
The giant axe collided violently with the tower shield, producing a deafening roar and scattering light everywhere. Yan Gang grunted, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch, but he actually managed to withstand Fan Jiao's enraged attack by relying on his powerful defense and strength.
"Kill!" Yan Gang roared, his tower shield slamming forward as he swung his warhammer in his other hand. The soldiers behind him immediately surrounded him, swords and spears raised.
Fan Jiao was surrounded. Although he was brave, he was old and had been out of practice for a long time. In addition, his rage made his tactics increasingly chaotic. Faced with the combined forces of Yan Gang, a general who was also known for his fierceness, and his elite soldiers, he was temporarily entangled.
The giant axe clashed repeatedly with the tower shield and warhammer, each impact unleashing an astonishing force that sent the surrounding soldiers staggering. Fan Jiao roared repeatedly, his body bearing numerous wounds, but Yan Gang was also in dire straits, his tiger's mouth split open and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Finally, after a series of head-on clashes, Fan Jiao's offensive began to falter.
Yan Gang seized the opportunity. He used his tower shield to withstand a heavy blow, ignoring the excruciating pain in his arm that felt like his bones were cracking. With an extremely tricky angle, he smashed his warhammer down from below, striking Fan Jiao's chin hard.
"Crack!" Fan Jiao's massive body stiffened abruptly, his movements halting instantly. The madness and crimson in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a look of bewilderment and disbelief.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yan Gang swung his warhammer again, slamming it heavily into Yan Gang's chest.
Fan Jiao spat out a mouthful of blood, and his massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The giant axe in his hand clattered to the ground, and the Sixth Elder, Fan Jiao, died.
With Fan Jiao's death, the last organized resistance within the camp completely vanished. The remaining die-hards were either swiftly wiped out or scattered and fled, only to be captured or killed by Chang Dong's army on the outer perimeter.
The battle gradually subsided. The air was thick with the stench of blood, the acrid smell of lingering magic, and the stench of gunpowder. Everywhere lay collapsed tents, burning wreckage, scattered weapons, and corpses.
The surrendered soldiers were put under centralized guard, the wounded received initial treatment, and the battlefield began to be cleared.
Supported by his shadow guards, Li Yue approached Shang Jiuya to report. Shang Jiuya's shoulder wound had been treated, but her face remained pale. She looked at the devastated battlefield, at the bodies of Qi Mu and Fan Jiao being carried away, her eyes showing no joy of victory, only a deep weariness and calm.
Chang Dong also came over and nodded slightly to Shang Jiuya: "The ringleader of the rebellion has been eliminated, and his main force has been defeated. Congratulations, Your Excellency, on your initial victory."
Shang Jiuya slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and nodded: "I trouble Elder Changdong to handle the aftermath. The fallen soldiers must be given generous compensation. Those who surrender will be dealt with according to the law."
Her gaze swept across the battlefield and toward the Demon Palace.
The military forces of Qi Mu and Fan Jiao have been completely crushed.
But she knew that the storm within the Demon Palace had only just begun.
News of the Seven Mu's execution and the collapse of his legion spread with astonishing speed to every corner of the Demon Realm. Within the Demon Palace, it caused an unprecedented upheaval.
However, at this moment when the overall situation was initially settled, an undercurrent was quietly surging deep within the Demon Palace.
The detailed battle report about Qi Mu's death, and that he was personally killed by Shang Jiuya at the command post, eventually reached Shiyi Niang's ears through Guan Shanyue's intentional or unintentional dissemination of details.
"No...impossible...you're lying to me!" Eleventh Sister was stunned at first, then grabbed the collar of the trusted maid who brought the news, her nails almost digging into the maid's flesh. "Sixth Brother...how could Sixth Brother be dead? And by that good-for-nothing...by that bitch's own hands? You're lying!"
She shook the maid frantically, her beautiful face contorted with extreme shock and disbelief.
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