What a close call, a mutual annihilation nearly occurred!

The savage, fierce battle left me utterly dumbstruck!

“Your Highness,” Jin Yao’s calm voice held an almost imperceptible tremor. “This is the confrontation between the Sky Demons—an unending fight to the death. When facing another Sky Demon warrior, it’s impossible to contend unless you possess the conviction of certain death. Hesitation, even for a moment, compromises your fighting spirit and leaves a spiritual opening for your opponent, inevitably leading to defeat. If both sides are equally resolved to die, then only the stronger will survive. Unfortunately, the gap between these two was too narrow, so neither could kill the other.”

“So, General, you foresaw this.” I felt a surge of surprise.

“It is a trial by self-selection,” Jin Yao replied. “Even if he falls in battle, someone will inherit his Demon Armor after his death, becoming the next generation’s Wooden Sky Demon.”

“..........” For a moment, I was speechless. I couldn't comprehend the mindset of such individuals, but one thing I was certain of: they were the true warriors, existing solely for combat.

“Only with the will to fight, and a willingness to risk everything, can one truly unleash their full strength,” Jin Yao stated. “Simply donning the Sky Demon Armor does not make one a Sky Demon warrior.”

“.............” Only then did I finally grasp the fundamental difference between a Sky Demon warrior and an ordinary soldier: every engagement they undertook was approached with the fatalistic intent to fight to the last breath. In truth, many understood this principle—only by genuinely embracing the will to die, fearing nothing, could one access their true potential.

“But this so-called will to die is not the same as being resolved to die,” Jin Yao said gravely. “If it were, it wouldn't be called the will to die; it would be called despair. True resolve in the face of death means maintaining an unwavering belief and fighting spirit under any desperate circumstance. That is what qualifies one as a Sky Demon warrior. Only by recognizing this within your heart can you become a genuine fighter.”

“To maintain unwavering belief and fighting spirit while trapped in a desperate situation—is that truly possible? A desperate situation should mean there is absolutely no hope, a state of utter despair, otherwise, it wouldn't be called despair. For someone to cling to firm belief under such conditions, how easy can that be?” Just like me now, having lost all hope of returning to the modern world—could this be considered a despairing surrender on my part?

“Fighting spirit and belief originate from your inner realization. You must understand what truly drives you to keep fighting, to constantly surpass yourself. Whether it is Muyao, Ji Du Luo Hou, or the Sky Demon warriors of the opposing Ao Tian Legion, what sustains them, drives them to fight and surpass their limits, is the dignity of being a Sky Demon warrior, and the sacred mission to protect their homeland. Of course, this might sound too absolute; not everyone is so grand, fighting for nation and people. But whatever their reason, each one clearly understands their convictions and goals. Only when this intense desire and belief become subconscious can one truly unlock their potential.” Here, Jin Yao’s expression grew intensely serious as he looked at me: “Only by clearly understanding these things can you establish firm conviction and ignite the strongest fighting spirit.”

“What exactly am I fighting for?” For the first time, I began to seriously consider this question. Undoubtedly, when I left Silver Ginkgo Village, my goal was clear: to become a peak Red Moon warrior. Has that goal now been achieved?

What comes next?

Back in the Ranger world, relying on the accumulated knowledge from two lifetimes and a degree of cunning, my cultivation progressed at lightning speed. But I knew clearly that with that mindset, even wearing the Sky Demon Armor, I could never become a true Sky Demon warrior.

In truth, from beginning to end, my inexplicable arrival on the Mafa Continent felt like a dream. All my seemingly reckless actions in the past were less about audacity and more about indifference.

The Mafa world always felt somewhat unreal to me. Although I had been here for nearly five years, I had always observed this world with the detachment of a game player. If I had anything anchoring me, it was only my mother, Chen Feng, and later, Shen Yin, whom I came to know. It was primarily because of my mother that I ultimately became a Ranger.

One could say that subconsciously, I treated Ranger cultivation merely as a mission within a game. I never truly integrated myself into this world. Even if I met an unfortunate, accidental death, I might just wake up in another world.

“It seems Your Highness has not yet truly understood the depths of your own heart,” Jin Yao said, his expression complex.

“Yes!” I murmured to myself. Yes, I lacked a compelling reason to fight to the death. Could someone like me, even clad in Sky Demon Armor, truly defeat these powerful enemies before me?

The fatal duel between Mo Luo Zhan Long and Sheng Yan Jia Nan ignited the warrior blood of the Sky Demons on both sides!

“Roar!! Lie down for me!” Huo Yao Jia Lie, spurred by the fight, suddenly accelerated, his entire body shrouded in layers of dense Battle Qi, resembling a maddened tiger, his offensive surge erupting once more! In an instant, the glow of his blade flared violently, engulfing Mo Luo Tian Feng in a tempestuous downpour of attacks.

“Roar!! As if I fear you!” Mo Luo Tian Feng’s warrior spirit was also aroused! Yet, as a Mage, it was inherently impossible for him to engage in close-quarters brawling with a Warrior. Thus, despite his face being contorted with killing intent, his elusive footwork remained bizarrely unpredictable, though his speed was now astonishing.

The air was filled only with hazy afterimages, the dazzling blue streaks of the deadly Flying Wheels slicing through, and the heavy strikes of Battle Qi unleashed by Huo Yao Jia Lie.

Clang!! The Battle Qi Fireball collided again—terrifying! Seizing the momentum from the Battle Qi explosion, Mo Luo Tian Feng shot out like a swallow soaring through the air, gracefully evading. Huo Yao Jia Lie, however, retreated only two steps before planting his feet firmly. He immediately stepped forward, giving chase to Mo Luo Tian Feng’s retreating form.

Mo Luo Tian Feng and Huo Yao Jia Lie had clashed countless times on the battlefield; they understood each other's moves too well. Consequently, the moment Mo Luo Tian Feng retreated, he sensed something was wrong and pursued him relentlessly, like a shadow.

It must be said that Mo Luo Tian Feng and Huo Yao Jia Lie’s fighting styles were complete opposites, perhaps even extreme contrasts. Huo Yao Jia Lie possessed natural divine strength, specializing in close-quarters slaying; he followed the path of pure power assault. Mo Luo Tian Feng, a Mage, specialized in magical control, particularly his ultimate technique, the Deadly Flying Wheel, which fused lightning and fire magic, achieving a level of mastery that was utterly instinctive. Furthermore, his speed and movement were exceptional. This made Mo Luo Tian Feng’s style vastly different from that of an average Mage; he was one of the rare all-around Mages capable of fighting effectively at close, mid, and long ranges.

These factors predetermined that Mo Luo Tian Feng’s style leaned more heavily on technique to win.

In a direct confrontation, Mo Luo Tian Feng would be at a disadvantage in close combat, but once distance was established, Mo Luo Tian Feng’s Deadly Flying Wheel would immediately gain the upper hand, allowing him to attack the enemy at will from mid-to-long range. This explained why Ji Du was put in such imminent danger by Mo Luo Tian Feng’s four Flying Wheels when he first appeared.

Huo Yao Jia Lie knew this perfectly well, so the contest between them was entirely a mutual balancing act of spatial distance. Huo Yao Jia Lie desperately tried to close into Mo Luo Tian Feng’s 'Close Circle,' while Mo Luo Tian Feng tried every means to shake off Sheng Yan Jia Lie’s entanglement before unleashing a killing blow. This resulted in the bizarre sight of one desperately chasing and the other desperately fleeing!

In fact, this is often how confrontations between Mages and Warriors unfold.

Whoosh!! Whoosh!! As Mo Luo Tian Feng retreated, he swung Blood Drink, launching two blue Deadly Flying Wheels, splitting them into upper and lower paths, directly targeting the throat and abdomen of the charging Sheng Yan Jia Lie.

Roar! Huo Yao Jia Lie, charging headlong, immediately delivered a vertical cleave, unleashing a torrent of Raging Fire Sword Qi, while simultaneously activating his defensive Battle Qi to its absolute peak.

Clang!! The incomparably powerful Raging Fire Heavy Strike accurately smashed into the two lightning-fast Deadly Flying Wheels. What followed was an incredibly intense Battle Qi explosion and a blinding flash of light. However, Jia Lie, having prepared for this, gritted his teeth and relied on his massive defensive Battle Qi and the Sky Demon Armor’s superior defensive capabilities to endure the shockwave from the explosion.

Even so, the peculiar electrical-fire mix of the blue sword energy, even with preparation, caused Jia Lie considerable suffering. Within the blinding flash, Jia Lie suppressed the nearly paralyzing sensation and managed to close the distance to about six meters from Mo Luo Zhan Feng. For a Sky Demon warrior, any distance within ten meters was not considered long-range, as the destructive power of the Raging Fire Sword Qi did not significantly diminish between ten meters and one meter. This range was known as the 'Close Circle' by the Sky Demon warriors; anything over ten meters was the 'Outer Circle.' Close-Circle combat was precisely where Jia Lie excelled.

Roar!! Jia Lie finally burst into the close-combat zone and immediately unleashed his power, his long blade slashing out, attacking more than a dozen times in quick succession. Every strike carried a dazzling, fiery streak of Sword Qi.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!! Countless fiery blade shadows wove into a dazzling, bizarre net of Raging Fire Sword Qi in the air, enveloping Mo Luo Tian Feng.

Hmph!! What a Mo Luo Tian Feng!! Having been breached by Jia Lie, he immediately pushed his magic to the limit. The dazzling light of his Magic Shield almost illuminated the entire area from the walls down. He endured one strike of Raging Fire purely relying on this potent shield, then used the resulting fire explosion and the turbulent Battle Qi, its strong repulsive force, to blast himself away.

His strange movement was ethereal, like a ghost, flickering everywhere, weaving through the dense shadows of the fiery blades! In the blink of an eye, he escaped Jia Lie’s Close Circle!

The distance between them was established once more, followed by an endless cycle of pursuit.

This agile footwork made it hard for me to believe Mo Luo Tian Feng was a Mage; even a Warrior might not fare much better against him.

On the other side, whoosh!! Whoosh!! Three golden figures darted up and down, and behind each golden silhouette followed several smaller golden arcs. Compared to the chase between Mo Luo Tian Feng and Jia Lie, the battle where Mo Luo Zhan Yun and Mo Luo Zhan Tian fought Luo Hou Jia Lan two-on-one was even more heart-stopping. These three were top masters of externalizing Sword Qi. Their fighting styles were identical: maintain distance and engage in Battle Qi attacks, while simultaneously moving at high speed to evade the opponent's Sword Qi strikes. Consequently, over a dozen Raging Fire Sword Qi strikes flashed rapidly in the air under the control of the three combatants. Sometimes, these dozens of Sword Qi blasts would collide, erupting into dazzling light explosions, like magical fireworks at a festival, illuminating the entire sky brilliantly. Amidst these countless bursts of light, the three figures continued their undiminished, rapid movements. It seemed nobody could overcome the others, but Luo Hou Jia Lan, fighting one against two, was clearly at a disadvantage, currently gritting his teeth and barely holding on, awaiting reinforcements. However, Mo Luo Zhan Yun and Mo Luo Zhan Tian gave him no quarter; employing coordinated pincer attacks and weaving maneuvers, they were desperate to slay Jia Lan right there. But they couldn't kill him quickly, when a fiery red figure shot across the horizon—it was Tian Hong Fa Shen, Yan Zhao, who had received the signal and arrived for support. Yan Zhao arrived mid-air; even from a hundred meters away, two Profound Ice Flying Wheels shot forward like lightning.

Mo Luo Zhan Tian and Mo Luo Zhan Yun knew the danger and hurriedly unleashed Half-Moons to intercept these whistling Profound Ice Flying Wheels, retreating simultaneously.

Boom! Rumble! In the mid-air, an explosive light cluster scattered countless silvery-white ice shards, speckling the entire sky with brilliant, bizarre spots of light.

But the bone-chilling aura transmitted a fierce, sharp killing intent to every warrior, friend or foe, caught within the blast radius.

Whoosh! Shielded by Yan Zhao's cover, Luo Hou Jia Lan seized the opportunity to jump out of the fray.

“Phew, finally made it.” Luo Hou could barely refrain from collapsing onto the ground. In the last two minutes, Luo Hou Jia Lan had exerted every ounce of skill to hold off Mo Luo Zhan Tian and Mo Luo Zhan Yun.

“Sorry I’m late,” Yan Zhao said, though his hands never stopped moving. Blood Drink was waved again repeatedly, launching two laser beams toward the rapidly approaching Mo Luo Zhan Tian and Mo Luo Zhan Yun.

The speed of the laser beams was astonishing. Mo Luo Zhan Tian and Mo Luo Zhan Yun, under immediate pressure, could only forcibly erect their defensive Battle Qi, taking a hit each to try and close the distance.

But how could Luo Hou Jia Lan, having finally secured reinforcements, allow them to succeed?

Whoosh! Almost the instant Mo Luo Zhan Tian and Mo Luo Zhan Yun were hit and repelled by the laser beams, two fiery blasts simultaneously shot toward their chests!

Hah!

Roar! Mo Luo Zhan Yun and Mo Luo Zhan Tian, already prepared, simultaneously unleashed two more Half-Moons.

Clang! Jia Lan’s Raging Fires were shattered, but their attempt to force a closing distance on Yan Zhao was foiled.

Looking at Yan Zhao and Jia Lan standing shoulder-to-shoulder, Mo Luo Zhan Tian and Mo Luo Zhan Yun could only inwardly lament their misfortune. With enemy reinforcements present, victory was now exponentially harder to achieve. However, beyond fighting to the death, they had no other recourse. The two exchanged an instinctive glance and gritted their teeth, launching another attack.

Roar!!

Roar!! Clang!! Rumble!! Suddenly, a world-shattering, colossal sound erupted! On the eastern section of the city wall, a massive, seven-colored light cluster exploded—it was Tu Yao Jia Tu and Mo Luo Zhan Chong engaging in a frantic contest of ultimate techniques!

Tu Yao Jia Tu hailed from the Northern Sea Thousand Peaks Sect; his sect’s ultimate skill was Cloud Lock Thousand Peaks, widely recognized as the strongest defensive ability.

Mo Luo Zhan Xiong, hailing from the Demon Sealing Empire and a disciple of the Hidden Vault Sect, mastered the sect’s ultimate move, Heaven-Upholding Stone Splitter—the strongest offensive Sky Demon Warrior in the Mo Luo camp!

These two top masters, one specialized in offense, the other in defense—a natural struggle between spear and shield, destined for deadly attrition. Now that they collided, a breathtaking struggle between dragon and tiger commenced.

Whoosh!! The terrifying blast shockwave forced both combatants backward involuntarily. Without stopping, they immediately resumed their attacks. The two golden figures merged and separated, darting across the wilderness, chasing and weaving around each other like two golden streaks of lightning, intermittently manifesting bizarre, distorted arcs of light. In the blink of an eye, they exchanged over a hundred blows. Compared to the highly technical and agile Battle Qi attacks in the fight between Mo Luo Zhan Yun and Mo Luo Zhan Tian against Luo Hou Jia Lan and Yan Zhao, the slaughter between Mo Luo Zhan Xiong and Tu Yao Jia Tu was purely brutal and bloody. Every strike was delivered without reservation; every clash and collision was exerted with maximum effort. The offense struck from the nine heavens above, prioritizing momentum; every incoming attack was delivered with full force, embodying the heroic tragedy of "succeed or die trying." Every full-power strike was accompanied by a deafening roar, making Mo Luo Zhan Chong appear overwhelmingly mighty, like a War God descended, unstoppable.

But Tu Yao Jia Tu stood firm like a towering, majestic mountain. Against Mo Luo Zhan Chong’s stormy assault, he relied on a few moves—the Half-Moon Body Guard—repeatedly. His golden Battle Qi blade moved like a long dragon rolling up and down, defending every inch of his body impenetrably.

The master of defense hides beneath the nine earths, waiting for the moment to strike and erupt.

And as soon as Mo Luo Zhan Xiong’s attack weakened, the golden dragon instantly transformed into a fierce, venomous snake, launching a fatal strike. The battle between these two was the most heart-pounding.

However, these two were evenly matched in strength. After fighting for so long, neither could overcome the other. Even so, both Mo Luo Zhan Xiong and Tu Yao Jia Tu were already drenched in blood, covered in wounds.

Yet, the intensity of the battle kept them staring at each other with blazing eyes, yielding no ground. Their gazes, like burning fire, radiated waves of dense killing intent that distorted and blurred the very air. At this moment, within each other’s eyes, there was only the opponent's weakness and vital point.

Roar!! Suddenly, the two who had been as still as a mountain exploded into motion simultaneously! Mo Luo Zhan Xiong charged directly toward Tu Yao Jia Tu’s Close Circle!

Roar! Mo Luo Zhan Xiong soared upward like a crane piercing the sky, instantly ascending high above. He then continuously slashed his long blade, stirring up countless sword qi. Amidst the swirling sword qi, countless indistinguishable true and false dragon phantoms simultaneously materialized.

Heaven-Upholding Stone Splitter—Earth-Shattering Descent!

The myriad dragon shadows suddenly plunged toward the ground from above and below! The torrent of blade shadows poured down like a torrential storm, engulfing the ground. Every blade emitted a sharp whistle, and under the terrifying speed, they manifested as arcs of bizarre, distorted golden light.

Roar!! Tu Yao Jia Tu on the ground violently spun his long blade, instantly rotating like a windmill! With astonishing speed, it generated a sea of flames that seemed to burn endlessly. He then swept sideways, sending that sea of fire toward the countless blade shadows smashing down from above.

Cloud Lock Thousand Peaks! Nine Nether Inferno!

The sea of fire rushed directly toward the countless dragon phantoms!!

Clang!! Roar!! Slash!

A collision almost destroying heaven and earth—the fiery Battle Qi finally met head-on without any pretense!

Clang!! Clang!! Clang!

The roaring sounded almost endless. The entire world seemed to have turned into an enormous war drum, beaten by a massive warrior! The ground, the sky! The entire world trembled!

Everyone felt as if their chests had been struck by a heavy hammer. Many warriors in the distance vomited blood and collapsed on the spot, staring with horror at the two intertwined golden light dragons within the light explosion and sea of fire.

At this moment, fate’s arrangement finally brought the two ultimate techniques—Cloud Lock Thousand Peaks and Heaven-Upholding Stone Splitter—into collision.

Every Sky Demon warrior engaged in combat stared in shock toward the sea of fire in the sky, mouths agape!

Clang!! Finally, the incessant roaring ceased.

Whoosh!! The two golden figures shooting out from the sea of fire also smashed onto the ground simultaneously.

During that fierce exchange, where Heaven-Shattering Descent and Nine Nether Inferno clashed, within that vast sea of flames, both Jia Tu and Mo Luo Zhan Xiong had simultaneously launched hundreds of Raging Fire Sword Qi strikes. Yet, every single Sword Qi perfectly collided with its counterpart in an instantaneous manner; not one struck the opponent's body. This continued until both their Battle Qi was utterly exhausted, and they crashed onto the ground simultaneously.

Clang! Rumble! With two resounding impacts, the two robust figures blasted two large craters into the solid ground.

The ultimate confrontation between the two ultimate techniques resulted in a draw—neither could prevail over the other! And at this moment, both lay on the ground, unable to rise, their fate—alive or dead—unknown.

Jia Tu!! Xiong!!

The Sky Demon warriors and Tian Hong Fa Shen on both sides cried out in unison!

“Rescue the General!” The personal guards, who had been waiting nearby, rushed into the fray with desperate bravery the moment their leaders hit the ground.

The Sky Demon warriors and Tian Hong Fa Shen on both sides immediately entangled their respective opponents, terrified that the enemy might take this chance to strike the incapacitated Tu Yao Jia Tu or Mo Luo Zhan Xiong.

Dozens of personal guards managed to retrieve their respective commanders, narrowly avoiding danger amidst the turbulent Battle Qi and magical explosions. Their extraordinary courage deserved admiration.

"Close call—almost mutual destruction again!" This kind of brutal fighting left me practically suffocating.

"Indeed. Neither side was willing to yield; one excels at offense, the other at defense. They are destined rivals." Jidu maintained an expression of perfect calm. "Though this time, a victor still wasn't decided."

Two more fighters were forced from the fray! Yet the battle on the field grew only more intense!

Near the West Wall!!

Jidu fought to suppress the unease and anxiety churning within. Whether Jiaman had survived that last onslaught was a crushing concern, but at this moment, he couldn't afford distraction. The hardened nerve forged by years on the battlefield allowed him to settle his mind swiftly.

His silver eyes remained as cold as ever, darkly scrutinizing the three opponents before him!!

After the recent furious clash, Jidu was utterly exhausted, riddled with wounds, and drenched in his own blood. Only sheer force of will kept him upright; without it, he would have collapsed long ago. This was unquestionably the most savage battle Jidu had ever endured. After all, he was facing three Heavenly Demon Warriors! A one-versus-three engagement—the gap in raw power was too vast. To have held out this long was already his absolute limit!

Gazing upon the somewhat aged faces revealed by the fallen face masks, the three—Moluo Zhankong included—felt a wave of emotion. It was this silver-haired, silver-eyed Jidu Heavenly Demon who had claimed the lives of eight Heavenly Demon Warriors from the Demon Sealing Sect, both before and after its fall.

When people brought up the Heavenly Demon Warriors of the Demon Dragon Empire, their first thought wasn't the current Emperor, Sun Demon Heavenly Demon, but rather Jidu, known throughout the ranks as the Silver Demon.

Perhaps he wasn't the strongest, but he had certainly slain the most Heavenly Demon Warriors. In his sixty long years serving as a Heavenly Demon Warrior, he had consecutively killed eight warriors from the Demon Sealing Empire. Such a combat record was nothing short of miraculous among their kind.

In the past, Moluo Zhankong and the others knew Jidu was powerful, but this level of sheer, absurd strength still exceeded their wildest imagination; fighting three opponents and showing no sign of being overwhelmed.

Jidu leaned on his Frost Condensing Greatsword, struggling to stabilize his ragged breathing. His calm expression remained placid as still water. Even standing motionless, his mountain-like stability and composure created an aura that seemed impossible to breach.

Unquestionably, Jidu was a master, perhaps the preeminent master of group combat. Even more terrifying was his astonishing stamina; it seemed his reserves were bottomless. It was hard to fathom that Jidu was a powerhouse who rose to fame sixty years ago. No one knew his true age. Humans on the Mafa Continent enjoyed long lifespans, and being called vigorous before the age of one hundred was not an overstatement. Yet, the peak age for a Heavenly Demon Warrior hovered around eighty, and Jidu had clearly surpassed that bracket. Still, his combat prowess had not diminished; rather, he grew stronger with every confrontation. He must be killed, or the future consequences will be endless. The three exchanged a look, murderous intent flaring anew in their eyes.