She suddenly turned around, and the terrifying Chain Sword instantly pierced through her back.

"Magic that controls water flow? It's a shame, controllers of water elements like you fear the rear and the sky the most." The skeletal Centaur abruptly pulled out the Chain Sword, and in the next moment, deflected the arrow charged with a gust of wind.

In an instant, the sprinting Centaur knocked her away, and the Archer flew out like a rag doll.

"Not even worth a hit." The skeletal Centaur finished speaking and was about to leave without paying any heed to Lana hiding in the cave on the other side.

A cross-shaped Teleportation Gate appeared in the original spot.

Xue Dili saw the blood-stained Centaur at that moment. Upon seeing the two Heroic Spirits on the ground, whose fates were unknown, his brow furrowed tightly.

He had opened the Teleportation Gate for no more than three seconds.

And now, in just these three seconds, the fate of the two Heroic Spirits was uncertain.

No, or rather, they had already met Death, only their souls hadn't left these bodies yet.

He sensed an enemy in the middle to upper Tier Four, very strong.

But that was all there was to it.

The Dimensional Blade was drawn, and Xue Dili instantly unleashed his aura.

"Interesting," said the Centaur Knight, waving the Chain Sword in his hand, which immediately transformed into a long sword with blood flowing on it. His gaze, filled with battle intent, focused on Xue Dili.

The terrifying charge came again, and the Centaur's nearly four-meter-tall body brought unparalleled acceleration and a sense of oppression.

Like an out-of-control big truck.

Until…

At the moment of contact, the skeletal Centaur's pupils contracted sharply; half of his body immediately disappeared. As the charge stalled, he quickly turned around, only to see Xue Dili standing still without any movement, and yet he had almost met his Death.

"What is this monster…" he mumbled, looking at Xue Dili.

But for some reason, surging power and battle intent arose within him, the lost half of his body visibly regenerating, and his entire aura soared again.

"Indeed, only such a war can make me feel interesting! I exist on this land for strong adversaries like you!" He laughed wildly and charged at Xue Dili once more.

"This is my sure-kill strike, watch closely!"

But Xue Dili frowned because, in that brief moment just now, the opponent had grown stronger.

It wasn't the kind of strength that bursts out suddenly but rather a sudden rise in all-around power, previously being mid-Tier Four, now reaching the peak of Tier Four.

This sudden increase in intensity made it hard for Xue Dili not to think of unfair play.

Can't beat it, so the Demon Race shamelessly starts to ramp up the numbers, huh?

Xue Dili thought of other Heroic Spirits in the Demon Race; at first, they were indeed weak, but they grew stronger, and now, the sixth Heroic Spirit he encountered was already approaching Quasi-5th Tier.

And they're not even bothering to put on a show; they're changing numbers directly to his face.

Sure enough, the more this happened, the more it confirmed Xue Dili's suspicion that this grand expedition was merely a sacrificial ritual for the Divine Tree. The losing side becomes nourishment for the Divine Tree.

The hardships of the Demon Realm they once noted, the poisonous gas, the effort to survive with all one's might, these records were all grossly distorted. The true reality was that the losing side becomes a buffet for the Divine Tree.

The poisonous gas might be the Divine Tree's pollen; living with all effort is because the underground is full of tree roots, and anything against the Divine Tree's rules becomes the Divine Tree's snack.

This is the truth behind the grand expedition, a manipulation behind the scenes offering hope to both sides in a war.

Perhaps for the Demon Race relegated to the losing side, their only hope lies in this centennial grand expedition; if they win, they reclaim all that was lost.

Reclaim the flowers, the sky, and the land of normal life.

However, even with strength approaching Quasi-5th Tier, to Xue Dili…

"Dimension, Beheading Blade!" The Dimension Blade swung fiercely, and a terrifying Light Wheel appeared.

The next second, the Centaur, charging like a mud truck, was cleaved vertically from head to toe, split in two.

The so-called unfair play held no deterrence under the crushing absolute value.

Xue Dili also sighed, realizing that he had become a number-cruncher himself. Truly, fortunes change, and now it's his turn to crush with sheer numbers.