Chapter 1424: The Strongest Trump Card Is Just That

The demon leaders waited for several moments, but the Demon Lord remained silent.

The battlefield below was already a scene of carnage, with the power of the Dao sweeping through the demon army like a chaotic current. With every passing moment, more of the Ox Demon Clan fell to the ground, wailing in agony. The signs of a retreat were becoming increasingly evident.

Seeing this, Ox Shati couldn't help but grow more anxious. He bowed once again.

"My Lord!"

"Your subordinate requests to join the battle!"

Yet, as soon as he spoke, the Demon Lord still did not respond.

The other demon leaders, however, began to comment indifferently.

"Old Ox, you're too impatient. Since the Lord has not given his permission, you should continue to observe the battle."

"Indeed, as leaders of our respective clans, we are the generals of this war. How can we act so rashly?"

"The Lord has already made his decision. You should simply follow orders. How can you request to join the battle on your own? Your Ox Demon Clan has already achieved much merit. Now, you still seek more glory? Such greed for achievement is unbecoming of a leader."

A few cold remarks later, Ox Shati's eyes bulged like copper bells in anger.

"You all!"

Though he was not skilled in scheming, he could see the petty thoughts of the other clan leaders. These fellows were clearly jealous and wanted to take advantage of the situation to weaken the Ox Demon Clan's forces.

How malicious their intentions were! Truly despicable!

Though he understood everything in his heart, Ox Shati was not good with words. Moreover, the other demons had invoked the name of the Demon Lord to pressure him. He could only grit his teeth, clasp his fists, and wait in silence.

However, after just a short wait, the human cultivators had already broken through the demon army's formation, slaughtering over ten thousand demons. Not only had the vanguard Ox Demon Clan suffered heavy losses, but the other clans had also taken significant hits. Corpses littered the ground, and from above, it looked like waves of wheat being blown by the wind.

Seeing the human cultivators' overwhelming momentum and the war situation turning unfavorable, the other demon leaders also began to grow restless. They bowed one after another, requesting to join the battle.

"My Lord!"

"These humans do have some skill. This old one requests to join the battle!"

"Your subordinate also wishes to fight!"

This time, it was Ox Shati's turn to sneer and watch.

"Oh?"

"Weren't you all just saying I was too impatient? How come you can't hold back now? Such impulsiveness is unbecoming of a leader, isn't it?"

As soon as he spoke, the other clan leaders glared at him in anger.

"Ox Shati!"

Ox Shati was not one to back down. He crossed his arms and snorted through his nostrils.

"Hmph!"

Even though the battle had already erupted and all the clans had suffered some losses—though it was mostly ordinary clan members who had died, not enough to cripple the foundations of the clans—the infighting among the clan leaders showed no signs of stopping. The combative and brutal nature of the demons was on full display.

The final decisive battle had not yet begun, but internal discord had already emerged. The situation was becoming increasingly dire, and the losses might be greater than anticipated.

Finally, the Demon Lord slowly opened his blood-red eyes and spoke with a voice that resonated from the depths of darkness.

"Enough."

"As leaders of your respective clans, you should be united against a common enemy in this war. How can you continue to fight among yourselves over petty grievances?"

His words carried immense authority, causing the leaders to bow in unison.

"Your subordinates are ashamed!"

The Demon Lord's prestige was unmatched. Even though there had been a slight hiccup in the plan, none of the demons dared to question him. All of them now looked at him with reverence.

After a few moments of silence, the demon leaders regained their solemn expressions.

The Demon Lord's blood-red eyes swept over the battlefield below, and he decisively issued his orders.

"It seems the humans have indeed made some progress and have hidden some of their strength. This plan of ours is indeed necessary. At this point, it's time to close the net."

"Ox Shati, though you are relatively inexperienced, your physical strength is unparalleled, making you most suited for bloody combat. Since you were the first to request to join the battle, you shall be the one to stabilize the situation."

"Remember, do not concern yourself with the weaklings. The key is to eliminate the strong among the humans."

Hearing this, Ox Shati excitedly clasped his fists and acknowledged the order.

In the next moment, his massive, several-zhang-tall figure disappeared from the sky and reappeared on the ground, creating a terrifying shockwave that sent nearby cultivators flying. The intense vibrations shook the entire battlefield!

"Boom!!!"

The shockwaves continued to spread, causing tens of thousands of demons and humans to freeze in place.

When they saw the terrifying figure of the several-zhang-tall Ox Demon, radiating an almost tangible blood-red aura, the chaotic battlefield suddenly fell silent. An indescribable pressure spread for thousands of miles!

At the center of the battlefield, Xiong Zhong, who had just changed into his work uniform, felt his throat tighten.

"Gulp..."

After observing for a few moments, he clenched his fists tightly. Though the pressure was immense, his eyes still burned with fervor.

"Dad."

"That's a big one. If we can take him down, it'll probably be worth a year's worth of work! We..."

Before he could finish, his father slapped him on the safety helmet, causing a dull thud.

"Smack!"

"Are you out of your mind, kid?"

"Can't you see how strong that big ox is? He's probably on par with some of the mid-level bosses from our Shadow Island. There's no way we can handle him!"

Xiong Zhong was left dazed by the slap. He scratched the back of his head and muttered.

"Huh?"

"Is he really that strong? I thought we had a chance..."

Before he could finish, his father grabbed him and pulled him toward the outskirts of the battlefield.

At the same time, Ox Shati, standing a hundred zhang away, fixed his gaze on Jiang Yuan outside the battlefield. He channeled all his demonic energy, gripping a giant axe with both hands, and swung it down with a vertical slash!

Instantly, a terrifying blood-red aura condensed and radiated from his powerful body. At the same time, a vast amount of ancient primal energy converged with it. As the giant axe swung, it formed a blood-red river that surged forward.

Before anyone could react, the blood-red river had already formed a tidal wave, sweeping out from the center of the battlefield and engulfing countless humans and demons.

"Boom!"

In the next moment, wherever the blood river passed, everything turned to dust. Tens of thousands of humans and demons were torn apart, their flesh and blood flying in all directions. The wails of agony completely shattered the brief moment of silence.

"Argh!"

"Pfft!"

"Run for your lives!"

As the blood river took on a sinister hue, its aura and power intensified several times over, threatening to swallow everything in its path. Xiong Fen and his son, who had retreated in time, stared wide-eyed in horror. They quickly fastened the buttons on their work uniforms.

At that moment, a figure in gray robes stood calmly before them. With a wave of his right hand, he unleashed a radiant light that instantly dispersed the blood river!

As the blood mist cleared, Jiang Yuan stood proudly between the two armies.

Though the blood river had been destroyed, the battlefield's devastation was already horrifying to behold. The casualties were too numerous to count, with countless severed limbs and the air thick with the pungent smell of blood.

The power of a single move had reached such a level.

The Ox Demon leader, Ox Shati, was indeed terrifyingly powerful!

The human sage, Jiang Yuan, had stepped forward without hesitation, showing no signs of weakness. He truly lived up to his reputation as an ancient predecessor.

The two stood facing each other, their auras alone creating a pressure that was unbearable for those around them. Xiong Fen and his son, still reeling from their narrow escape, quickly retreated behind Jiang Yuan, their faces drenched in cold sweat.

A battle at the level of the Primal Realm was not something mere ants could participate in.

No matter how many casualties had occurred earlier, they were not enough to determine the outcome of the war between humans and demons. The true balance of the war could not be shifted by simply throwing more bodies into the fray.

This high-level battle, which could make the inhabitants of entire star systems look up in awe, was a chasm that countless cultivators could never hope to cross in their lifetimes.

At this moment, the entire battlefield was drenched in blood, yet it had suddenly become eerily silent. The armies of both sides retreated in awe, the atmosphere so oppressive it was almost suffocating. Ordinary cultivators from the Cloud Star dared not make a sound, standing far behind the Shadow Island forces, watching nervously from a distance.

In the sky above, the Demon Lord's blood-red eyes quietly looked down. The nine great demon leaders seated below him also turned their gazes to the battlefield, their faces gradually revealing faint, amused smiles.

The Grand Priest, after observing for a few moments, sneered and commented.

"That human cultivator was able to withstand a strike from Ox Shati's Heaven-Shaking Blood Axe. He must have reached the early stage of the Primal Realm. With such cultivation, he is indeed worthy of perishing in our sacred land."

"It seems he is the humans' strongest trump card. But in the end, he is just that—nothing more."

Hearing this, the nine great demon leaders gradually smiled, their expressions becoming subtly amused.