Everyone was consumed by anxiety, unconsciously quickening their pace.

In the Illusionary Realm, the Swift Wind Hall should have been the smallest map; we hadn't been walking long before we reached its end.

However, the sight of countless massive pits scarring the open ground, littered with corpses, gave us a terrible shock.

Most of these fallen creatures were mutated beasts from Zuma’s Lair or Pig Cave, but there were also about a dozen creatures of immense size, colored deep, murky green.

Though they had been dead for some time, their sharp, elongated tusks, the thick, coarse manes sweeping down their backs, and their distinctive forms instantly revealed them to be the elite subordinates of the Iris Cult Master: the Iris Pig Guards.

Furthermore, four other similarly grotesque and gigantic bodies drew everyone's attention.

They resembled the Crab Serpent in appearance, yet were vastly larger.

Their bodies were a mottled black and dark green, with their massive front pincers being particularly striking.

Even in death, they projected a sense of formidable power they must have possessed in life.

The once solid ground was now pockmarked and uneven, likely due to explosions from intense combat.

It was filled with fragments of rock and dust, mingled with blood—red or green—creating a gruesome spectacle.

Undoubtedly, a fierce battle had raged here.

Judging by the deathly silence, the larger contingent must have won, otherwise, the area would not be so still.

Yun Xi meticulously searched the surrounding walls and soon located the secret code we needed.

“June 7th.

Encountered the Iris Cult Master.

Pyrrhic victory.

Azure Dragon Gang suffered over 400 casualties, White Tiger Alliance lost 500, Black Tortoise Alliance 200, Brotherhood 10, the Six Great Families 700, including 60 from the Yun Family,” Yun Xi read aloud.

“Nearly two thousand casualties,” Feng Qingtian exclaimed in surprise.

“This Iris Cult Master is truly formidable.” “But they still defeated it,” Xia Ya noted.

“Let’s hurry to the next level,” Tong Lei urged.

“I wonder what the ninth level will be like,” everyone murmured anxiously.

“We can only pray they are safe,” Feng Qingtian said gravely.

Following the guidance embedded in the Yun Family's secret code, we found the passage to the next floor.

Five hours later, we traversed the long, narrow tunnel and entered the ninth level of the Illusionary Realm.

“Ah, this is Crimson Moon.” We all jumped when we saw the mountains of corpses piled before us.

The bodies on the ground were clearly the most terrifying creatures from the Crimson Moon Corridor: Moon Demon Spiders, Steel Fang Spiders, Phantom Spiders, Celestial Wolf Spiders, and so on.

The density was astonishing.

The numerous pits scarring the ground indicated that the leading force had employed large-scale devastating magic to wipe out these horrifying mutated beasts.

In my past life, playing Legend, the creatures along the path from Crimson Moon Valley to the Altar of Demons left the deepest impression, especially the terror of the Moon Demon Spiders, a memory still sharp today.

However, I never had the chance to witness the true might of the Moon Demon Spiders in the Marfa World.

We encountered no living Crimson Moon creatures along the way; just endless piles of dead bodies, clearly slain by a massive group.

“The terrain here looks a lot like the Decisive Battle Ground in Crimson Moon.

Could this be it?” Feng Qingtian called out.

“It should be,” Xia Ya glanced at me instinctively.

“If it is, then the Crimson Moon Demon shouldn't appear here.” “Right,” I analyzed.

“Perhaps this time it will be a close call without real danger.” “I hope so,” Han Yunzhen sighed.

“We’ll know once we reach the end.

Let’s catch up quickly,” Yun Xi said.

Guided by the Yun Family’s code, we finally reached the entrance to the next level.

As anticipated, the main force had not encountered any strong resistance on this floor.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon after, we arrived at the tenth level of the Illusionary Realm.

“Hmph, I didn’t expect the tenth level of the Illusionary Realm to resemble the tenth level of Ox Demon Cave so closely,” Feng Qingtian gasped.

“It seems this is the tenth floor of Ox Demon Cave,” Han Yunzhen stated with a solemn expression.

“If I'm not mistaken, this place should be guarded by the Ox Demon King.” “En!” Xia Ya nodded slightly, then turned to Yun Xi.

“When did the main contingent enter here?” “Let me check.” Yun Xi searched carefully near the entrance and quickly found the information we needed: “June 13th.” “That was three days ago,” Feng Qingtian noted.

“It means we are very close to the main group now.

We must speed up; we’ve reached the tenth floor, the most crucial stage.” “Indeed, this is the final stretch!” I analyzed.

“If I’m right, after defeating the Ox Demon King, it will be time for the final confrontation.” “Finally, the last battle is near,” everyone felt a mixture of excitement and tension.

.............................................................

Two days later, we finally caught up to the main contingent, maintaining a distance of half a day behind them.

This allowed us to provide support to Master Jianli and the others instantly if the situation changed.

To ensure Master Jianli knew we were following, the Yun Family dispatched three elite experts to rapidly catch up with the main group.

Shortly after, through the secret codes left along the path, we learned that Jianli’s group was aware of our presence and instructed us to remain ready for support at any time.

Thus, the coordinated effort between the two teams—one visible, one hidden—achieved the optimal support distance.

Half a day was based on normal progress speed; at full sprint, we could reach them in about an hour and a half.

Moreover, if any trouble arose in this distance, Master Jianli’s group could fire a signaling magic spell to alert us instantly, allowing us to grasp any shift in circumstances immediately.

We proceeded in fits and starts, and I kept abreast of the main contingent's situation through the codes they left behind.

“Latest update: The main group has set up camp fifty li to the east and has already discovered the Ox Demon King’s presence.

Currently, Nalan Qiushui and the others are devising a strategy to deal with the Ox Demon King.

If all goes well, the outcome should be decided in two days, after which we enter the Sacred Domain Space,” Yun Xi reported.

“I never thought we’d actually reach this point,” Feng Qingtian and the others murmured with deep feeling.

“For a single Demon Sword, the elites of the four continents are cooperating for the first time, defeating so many terrifying demonic creatures along the way.

Yet, at the very end, they will turn on each other for the same sword.” “It can’t be helped,” Tong Lei sighed.

“Our positions are different; it has to be this way.” “I just wonder who will be the final victor,” Xia Ya murmured.

“……” Everyone looked downcast.

Regardless of who won, a great sacrifice was certain, a result none of us desired.

“Since we’ve come this far, we must see it through,” Feng Qingtian stated resolutely.

“This is no time for sentiment! No matter what, we must secure victory this time.” “She’s right,” Tong Lei agreed.

“With the great battle imminent, we cannot afford any misplaced mercy.” “Let’s discuss what to do next,” Feng Qingtian continued.

“How can we maintain distance from the vanguard troop without their knowledge, and strike at the most opportune moment for a surprise victory?” “In my view, the critical period for this operation is the time immediately after the Ox Demon King is slain,” Yun Xi pointed out.

“Once the Ox Demon King is dead, the focus will shift to seizing the entrance to the Sacred Domain Space.

That is guaranteed to be a bloodbath.” “Correct,” Xia Ya and I nodded almost simultaneously.

“The death of the Ox Demon King will certainly signal the final showdown.” “If we can lay an ambush around the Ox Demon Altar and strike the moment the main group defeats the Ox Demon King, we can inflict massive damage on the other contingents,” Han Yunzhen suggested.

“That will be extremely difficult,” Feng Qingtian countered.

“Everyone understands this is the final stage, so they will be extremely cautious.

Concealing an ambush from them will be hard.

I suspect the final outcome will inevitably be a frontal decisive battle.” “We must find a way to stay as close as possible behind the main group and rush to Master’s side the moment we get the signal,” I mused.

At this point, intricate schemes felt impractical; simpler methods were better.

“For now, that’s all we can do.” .......................................................

Two days later! Swish! Boom! Rumble! A dazzling blue light, like a meteor tearing across the night sky, shot toward our encampment with astonishing speed.

“Quick! It’s the emergency support signal!” Yun Xi roared.

The final crucial moment had arrived.

Distant rumbling echoed! The air thrummed with thick magical fluctuations, audible even from afar, accompanied by earth-shattering shouts of battle.

The phalanx of over a thousand members flying the Yun Family banner was completely encircled by the circular formation of over five thousand White Tiger Alliance members—their situation was dire.

The other contingents were also engaged in chaotic melee; the scene was utterly disordered.

Although we had anticipated the final moments would involve turning against each other, the speed at which allegiances were broken caught me off guard.

We naturally threw caution aside.

We had already planned that no matter what, the White Tiger Alliance and the Brotherhood would be our primary targets.

We rapidly closed the distance, our Thunder Array pushed to its absolute limit.

“Take out the Brotherhood first!” Feng Qingtian commanded.

Although the main Yun Family force was trapped by the White Tiger Alliance, it seemed they wouldn't be defeated immediately.

However, the Brotherhood’s powerful magic attacks were the most fearsome threat.

Under the cover of the White Tiger Alliance warriors and Taoists, the Brotherhood mages were launching frequent magical assaults, tearing the allied forces of the Azure Dragon Gang, Black Tortoise Alliance, and the Six Great Families into disarray.

“Yes!” As we rapidly approached, I locked onto the formation composed of the elite mages from the Brotherhood, clad in their dark robes.

My Blood Drinker swept out, and the super Thunder Fireball, already primed, shot toward the Brotherhood mage formation with incredible speed.

They seemed momentarily surprised by our sudden appearance, but the Brotherhood mages reacted with astonishing swiftness, instantly erecting a massive, incredibly huge golden light shield—it resembled a magic shield magnified countless times, forming a golden barrier that tightly enveloped all the Brotherhood mages and the nearby White Tiger Alliance warriors and Taoists.

Boom! Rumble! A deafening explosion erupted, and the violent magical shockwave instantly radiated outwards.

White Tiger Alliance warriors not covered by the shield were blasted into dust by the terrifying blast.

This single wave killed at least five hundred warriors, and the rest were severely wounded if not killed.

But the gigantic, golden, egg-shell-like shield remained standing, only rippling violently before settling back down.

Not a single crack appeared.

This sight stunned us.

We knew exactly how powerful that single super fireball was; yet, it hadn't even scratched them.

“Damn it!” Feng Qingtian snarled in frustration.

“What a strong Giant Magic Shield,” Han Yunzhen exclaimed in shock.

“Forget about it, keep bombarding them relentlessly!” Xia Ya ground out.

“Let’s see how long they can last.” “Yes!” I certainly did not hesitate.

I whirled my Blood Drinker into a blur, unleashing countless fireballs like a heavy machine gun firing on full auto, pelting the massive golden shell a hundred yards away.

However, what was even more shocking was that the golden shell acted like an incredibly elastic light wall; every fireball that struck it was deflected.

Furthermore, the deflected fireballs looped back toward the denser formations of the Azure Dragon Gang and Black Tortoise Alliance nearby.

Like heavy bombs dropped by several heavy bombers, the dense iron formations of the Azure Dragon Gang and Black Tortoise Alliance were ripped apart.

Countless severed limbs and body parts flew everywhere—the scene was unspeakably bloody and shocking.

What a ruthless tactic, diverting the disaster! If mishandled, this move could easily incite the Azure Dragon Gang and Black Tortoise Alliance to join the White Tiger Alliance and the Brotherhood against us.

Even though we were powerful, victory under those circumstances would be nearly impossible.

“Retreat!” The Black Tortoise Alliance and Azure Dragon Gang, who were about to charge the combined formation of the Brotherhood and White Tiger Alliance, immediately backed away.

However, they did not charge at us.

Clearly, they understood that the magic that struck them originated from us, but it was not our intention.

But the Brotherhood took advantage of this momentary gap to launch a furious counterattack.

A massive bolt of lightning smashed down from the empty air.

It was the Mother-Child Lightning, the same spell used to kill the Woma Cult Master, an aimed attack.

The target was the central area of our Thunder Array, where Xia Ya and dozens of Taoists were positioned.

Ah! I cried out in alarm! If Xia Ya was struck, the Thunder Array would instantly disintegrate—a truly vicious move.

“Thunder Shield!” The mages within our array simultaneously deployed a giant magic shield.

However, unlike the Brotherhood’s golden shield, our Giant Thunder Shield was blue, resembling a massive, glowing blue eggshell.

Boom! Rumble! Amidst the earth-shattering roar, it felt as if the surrounding world was trembling and twisting.

The faces of the mages inside the formation turned deathly pale, looking frighteningly sallow.