In war, possessing terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack—where one man guarding a pass can halt the advance of ten thousand—is especially important. Sometimes, it can even determine the outcome of a battle.

The boundary line of the Gale Sea Area was such a treacherous chokepoint.

Under Hong Yuan’s command, the Nine Poison Troops, Red Luck Troops, Frost Moon Troops, and other large formations joined forces in the offensive and defensive battle.

This time, the Zero Desolate Army deployed a full million Demon Soldiers!

The dark, blood-red fog covered the sky, and various eerie Demon Skills emerged incessantly. Thunder roared, lava erupted, and ice spears shattered the void. The wails of the Demon Soldiers pierced Cloud Soar, their harrowing cries echoing across the surrounding sea areas.

The cerulean waters turned dark red as numerous lifeless Demon Soldiers fell, sinking forever into the bloody depths. Among them were both Zero Desolate Demon Soldiers and Gale Demon Soldiers.

The battlefield was deadlocked, with neither side able to claim victory for the time being. The Gale Demon Soldiers dared not venture out, and the Zero Desolate Demon Soldiers could not advance.

"Zhang Daoliu, oh Zhang Daoliu, you really do have some skill, heh heh."

Zhang Fan hung mid-air, squinting at Zhang Daoliu, who was constantly issuing commands and occasionally even joining the fight himself.

As the Monarch of a Sea Area, to be forced into personal combat in a mere offensive and defensive battle means, to some extent, that this Monarch is already in dire straits.

"Position A05, reinforce! Position A06, Gale Horse Troops, charge!" Zhang Daoliu shouted hoarsely.

He had already accepted his defeat, but he didn’t want Hong Yuan to have an easy time either. It would be best to pin down Hong Yuan and the Zero Desolate Army here, preventing them from amassing more strength. That way, by the time Tao Species Lang Fanyun and the others arrived, Hong Yuan would be nothing more than fish on the chopping block.

"Xuan Guangqiao, don’t get too complacent; I am also a disciple of the Dragon God Sacred Land!" Zhang Daoliu clenched his teeth, throwing out one war banner after another as he issued commands.

「The Zero Desolate Army’s Monarch Camp.」

Within the protective circle of his core troops, Hong Yuan watched the battlefield, a scene resembling a Human World Purgatory, his expression unreadable.

[Life Span +100]

[Life Span +100]

[Blood Tao +16]

[Blood Tao +16]

[...]

The more brutal the battlefield, the richer the nourishment absorbed by the sub-banners of the Flood Gathering War Banner, and the greater the benefits for Hong Yuan. Not only did the data on his proficiency panel update at a rapid pace, but the Flood Gathering War Banner itself was influenced, evolving in an even more sinister direction.

The Flood Gathering War Banner gradually shifted from azure to a blood-red color!

Weak, even weaker than I had imagined. I truly wish I could completely unseal my strength and indulge in a thorough slaughter. It’s a pity I’m not yet strong enough. It’s better to abide by these conventional rules for now.

Hong Yuan’s gaze was profound as he observed the cruel battlefield. He had a feeling that if he were to activate the Cold Wind Frozen Rain Demon Skill, he could easily destroy this seemingly terrifying battlefield.

Unconsciously, he had truly acquired the characteristics of a Demon Saint!

Hmm? You’re also a Slave Tao master... you hid it very well, Hong Yuan chuckled softly, looking nonchalantly at Zhang Daoliu in the distance.

「On the battlefield that resembled Human World Purgatory.」

When the various units of the Zero Desolate Army pressed their attack, the Gale Demon Domain could no longer rely on its terrain for effective defense. At one point, several of their defense lines were breached.

With the situation so critical, Zhang Daoliu had no choice but to use his full strength, unleashing the techniques of his second school.

Slave Tao Demon Skill—Swarm Ants Devour Elephant!

In a corner of the sea battlefield, a Gale Demon Soldier was being overwhelmed by a Zero Desolate Demon Soldier, losing its armor and weapons. Unable to maintain its balance, it fell into the sea, facing imminent death. Suddenly, its body swelled, its aura surged, and it instantly counter-attacked and killed the Zero Desolate Demon Soldier.

This scenario wasn’t unique to this corner; in many places, Gale Demon Soldiers who had been at a disadvantage experienced a great surge in strength and counter-attacked their foes.

A Slave Tao Demon Skill... Hong Yuan gazed at the ’See Me Causing Division’ Divine Skill Talisman within his body, a contemplative look in his eyes.

But ultimately, Hong Yuan decided not to act at this moment, leaving the battlefield to his subordinates like Li Jianqiu and Zhang Fan.

Good steel must be used on the blade’s edge. A Slave Tao Divine Power can truly alter the course of a battle; it cannot be revealed lightly.

Sure enough, his subordinate Zhang Fan cried out, "Zhang Daoliu, you backstabbed me in the past, acting without benevolence or righteousness, obstructing my path to power! Today, I will show you what an unstoppable, overwhelming force truly means!"

With a roar, Zhang Fan instantly revealed his Nine Poison Octopus True Body. A majestic purple mist reappeared, and endless waves surged. Within them, a poisonous qi roiled like a terrifying, revived venomous dragon.

The sky groaned as if under immense pressure!

This Divine Power has actually reached Tao Species Level!? Zhang Daoliu abruptly looked up, staring in disbelief at the enormous purple octopus in the sky. He knew that during the struggle for the Ten Thousand Domains, a Sea Area achieving continuous victories would produce monstrous talents. The capabilities of these Heavenly Talents would then enter a period of explosive growth. But it had only been five days, yet Zhang Fan had already touched the Tao Species barrier. What realm has Xuan Guangqiao, his Monarch, reached? Xuan Guangqiao...

Before Zhang Daoliu could even focus his thoughts to predict Hong Yuan’s progress, Zhang Fan’s attack arrived fiercely. Claws tore through the air, piercing space and revealing deep black fissures.

Zhang Daoliu clenched his teeth, unleashing his wind-element Demon Skill. A powerful gale surged, attempting to block Zhang Fan’s claw attack. However, in a single clash, the claws penetrated the gale and pierced deeply into Zhang Daoliu’s body.

Zhang Daoliu was defeated!

A look of stunned disbelief flashed in Zhang Daoliu’s eyes. I was actually defeated in a single move by someone I’d beaten before?

"Hmph, even if I gave you a hundred-step head start, you’re still just a rat," Zhang Fan declared arrogantly.

A streak of cyan light flashed, and the critically injured Zhang Daoliu was forced to reveal his Gale Qilin True Body. Zhang Fan lifted Zhang Daoliu high into the air, purple mist continuously spreading from his body, ensuring all Gale Demon Soldiers could see. His might at that moment was awe-inspiring, shaking the region.

If not for Zhang Daoliu’s status as a Monarch, Zhang Fan might genuinely have delivered a killing blow.

「Suddenly, a cyan sun rose high above the firmament.」

An aura that intimidated all demons emanated from it, and a figure slowly emerged from the midst of the cyan sun. He was the Gale Demon Saint, Zhang Daoliu’s ancestor, a seventh-order Demon Saint.

I actually don’t feel much of a threat from him... Hong Yuan was inwardly astonished.

So much so that even after the Zero Desolate Army had absorbed the spoils of war from the Gale Sea Area, greatly increasing their strength in a surge, Hong Yuan remained somewhat dazed.

A seventh-order Demon Saint! That was an incredibly powerful existence, renowned among both the Human Race and the Demon Clan. Yet now, he, a mere fifth-order Demon, unexpectedly felt confident he could escape with his life from the hands of the Gale Demon Saint, a seventh-order Demon Saint.

Suddenly, Hong Yuan recalled the Young Emperor who was a Heavenly Horned Ant, and those one hundred thousand Power Tao Marks. He suddenly became much more silent.

A true Great Emperor, in his youth, could not only escape from a Demon Saint’s grasp but even easily defeat one. I am still a long way from being a Great Emperor...