Under such self-detonations, some human and dragon powerhouses were caught in the terrifying power unleashed, unable to retreat far enough in time as they attacked the self-destructing enemies.
Lin Yun, still engaged in battle, witnessed Emperor Xingwu, Emperor Huoyun, and the Master of Xiaoyao Tower being engulfed by towering flames from the self-detonation of a ninth-realm celestial demon they were jointly attacking.
“Master!”
Lin Yun, in the midst of combat, abruptly stopped his sword, turning to roar towards the blazing flames, his eyes wide with shock.
The towering flames spread rapidly, distorting space and reaching far, causing many nearby immortals to cough up blood under the terrifying shockwaves.
The blinding light was dazzling, dimming everything around it, and for a moment, Lin Yun couldn’t see the situation within the explosion.
This made Lin Yun’s heart leap to his throat, his breath seemingly frozen.
Lin Yun knew all too well how terrifying the power of a ninth-realm celestial demon’s self-detonation could be!
His master, Emperor Xingwu, Emperor Huoyun, and the Master of Xiaoyao Tower, though sovereigns, didn’t have his extraordinary physique and defence.
Being so close to the explosion, this self-detonation posed a devastating threat to them!
Under Lin Yun’s gaze, Emperor Huoyun and the Master of Xiaoyao Tower flew out from the blazing light, blood spurting from their mouths.
“Master!”
Seeing Emperor Huoyun, Lin Yun let out a slight sigh of relief.
Emperor Huoyun was only injured, not dead, and the Master of Xiaoyao Tower was the same.
But Lin Yun couldn’t see Emperor Xingwu.
As Lin Yun focused on this scene, the Demon Commander seized the opportunity to turn and flee frantically.
Mo Bai swung his sword, chasing after the Demon Commander to stop it.
“Want to escape? In your dreams!”
Lin Yun swiftly activated the Nine-Star Pagoda, urging it into action.
Buzz!
A massive beam of light enveloped the Demon Commander, illuminating it.
“Hm?”
Lin Yun was startled; the Nine-Star Pagoda couldn’t directly pull the Demon Commander in!
The Demon Commander erupted with full force, struggling to break free from the pagoda’s pull.
It eventually succeeded.
Clearly, this was the limit of the Nine-Star Pagoda.
Though it couldn’t pull the Demon Commander in, it stalled it momentarily, allowing Mo Bai to catch up and launch a fierce attack.
Lin Yun quickly followed.
“You really think you can keep me here?!”
The Demon Commander roared in fury, then dove into the ground, escaping by burrowing into the earth!
Humans and demon beasts each had their strengths and weaknesses. Many human traits were envied by demon beasts but unattainable, just as demon beasts had unique abilities, like the Demon Commander’s earth-escape.
Boom!
As the Demon Commander tried to flee underground, Little Green Dragon dove down fiercely, cutting off its escape route and blasting it out of the earth.
After the Demon Lord fled, Little Green Dragon was free to act.
“Watch how Little Master deals with you!” Little Green Dragon’s ferocious attack surged towards the Demon Commander.
“Splat!”
In just one exchange, the Demon Commander was sent flying, spewing blood.
Little Green Dragon’s assault didn’t relent.
Boom!
After sustaining continuous injuries, Little Green Dragon’s claw pierced the Demon Commander’s head, destroying it!
The Demon Commander was dead!
In that brief moment, some celestial demons, taking advantage of their comrades’ self-detonations, managed to escape back to the Demon Beast Mountain Range.
Those who couldn’t escape either self-destructed or were killed before they could.
Only a small fraction of celestial demons successfully fled; most perished here.
The battlefield fell quiet, a stark contrast to the terrifying chaos earlier.
The human immortals and dragon allies also suffered losses.
After stopping his pursuit, Lin Yun rushed to Emperor Huoyun.
At that moment, the injured Emperor Huoyun and Master of Xiaoyao Tower were supporting Emperor Xingwu, the atmosphere heavy and somber.
Emperor Xingwu was motionless.
“Emperor Xingwu?!”
“Master, what… what happened…” Lin Yun’s eyes widened as he looked at Emperor Xingwu.
He could sense that Emperor Xingwu had no breath left!
This shocked Lin Yun deeply.
Emperor Huoyun closed his eyes, “The ninth-realm celestial demon we were fighting chose to self-detonate. Xingwu was closest to the explosion. Unable to escape, he used his body to block the fiercest attack, allowing me and the Master of Xiaoyao Tower to survive.”
Lin Yun froze upon hearing this.
Emperor Xingwu, who usually seemed selfish, had made such a choice?
In a situation where death was certain, if he hadn’t done so, all three might have died. By doing this, he gave himself no chance of survival, ensuring Emperor Huoyun and the Master of Xiaoyao Tower lived.
Because of this, they were only injured, not dead.
Looking at Emperor Xingwu again, Lin Yun felt as if he were seeing him anew.
“Emperor Xingwu…”
Lin Yun knelt before him, overwhelmed with grief.
“War is cruel. Even with our great advantage, forcing the enemy to desperation means we’ll still suffer losses,” Palace Master Mo sighed.
At that moment, Vice Palace Master Yao hurried over.
“I’ve just tallied the losses. In this battle, we lost thirteen human immortals. The demon clan suffered far greater losses. Likely only twenty or so celestial demons escaped back to the Demon Beast Mountain Range. The rest all perished here!” Vice Palace Master Yao said.
Little Green Dragon approached, “My dragon coalition lost over a dozen powerhouses. The ground battle losses haven’t been counted yet, but there are some casualties.”
“This loss ratio is already very low. The demon clan has been severely weakened. This is a great victory,” Vice Palace Master Yao said.
Tens of thousands of years ago, during the last war with the demon clan, the duration and losses were far greater, still fresh in their memories.
“Indeed, we won this battle! Not only did we win, but we also drove the demon clan back to the Demon Beast Mountain Range,” Song Lin said.
After this battle, the surviving celestial demons numbered only around twenty, and the Demon Commander was killed, greatly weakening the demon clan’s strength.
