The Witch possessed numerous methods of attack, one of the more commonly employed being Puppet Mastery. This sorcery involved crafting a multitude of dolls in advance, infusing a small portion of the Witch’s soul into one primary puppet, which would then manipulate all the others. This allowed the Witch herself to remain far away, completely unconcerned.

The combat prowess of these puppets was formidable, their defenses first-rate, and they even possessed regenerative capabilities. As long as the main puppet remained intact, even if all the subsidiary dolls were smashed to dust, they could reassemble and re-enter the fray.

Therefore, to break the Puppet Mastery, the primary puppet had to be destroyed first.

The problem, however, was that the main puppet, much like the Witch herself, was exceedingly cunning. It would hide in the most concealed location possible, making the chance of an ordinary person finding it infinitesimal. Thus, for average powerhouses, confronting a Witch employing Puppet Mastery was tantamount to facing an invincible army that could never be eradicated.

It was for this reason that after Xiu Ze shouted those words, everyone present, save for the Lord-level Yokai, experienced a dramatic shift in expression.

However, Xiu Ze, being the combat commander of the Demon Race, and knowing the Witch hailed from that same race, possessed considerable understanding of Puppet Mastery. He immediately commanded the frontline fighters to hold off the puppet legion while he began searching for the location of the main puppet himself.

The ones forging the path at the front were not members of the Demon Race, but rather the Yokai assembled by the Wolf King, along with a few elite Werewolves. Originally, only the Wolf King could command these individuals; Xiu Ze was overstepping his bounds, yet the Wolf King merely glanced at him without uttering a word.

After all, the last time a Witch had appeared was several centuries ago, when the Wolf King was still young and had not participated in the war, thus he was not overly familiar with the Witch’s combat methods—a factor contributing to why he had summoned so many people.

Now that Xiu Ze had proactively stepped up to dismantle the Puppet Mastery, the Wolf King naturally had no objection.

Ultimately, a true superior required not only formidable fighting strength but also magnanimity and the wisdom to utilize talent... The Wolf King was precisely such a person; otherwise, he could not have brought an end to the chaotic era of the entire Western World.

Xiu Ze proved worthy of being counted among the Demon Race's leading figures. Not long after the frontline Yokai managed to withstand the puppet onslaught, Xiu Ze saw through the weakness of the Puppet Mastery and swiftly located the main puppet.

His gaze sharpened. He snatched a bow and arrow from the hands of a nearby subordinate, drawing the string instantly to a full moon, his arrow aimed at a shadow several hundred meters up and to the right... Swish!

“Ah!” A piercing shriek echoed as the shadow instantly exploded. The puppets fighting the Yokai in the front suddenly went limp and were quickly annihilated. Seeing this, Xiu Ze returned the bow to his subordinate, smiling faintly, “Although the main puppet is highly concealed, its sole weakness is that it cannot stray too far from the puppet army. Dealing with it isn't difficult.”

The Wolf King looked at him and remarked, “That is only true for Commander Xiu Ze. Others might not fare so well.”

There was no sarcasm in his words, but genuine admiration. Had he been commanding just now, even if he could break the Puppet Mastery, a significant price would have been paid, unlike Xiu Ze, who resolved the massive crisis almost without shedding blood.

With this display, the lingering suspicions the Wolf King held toward Xiu Ze diminished further. The decisiveness and sharpness of that sequence of actions showed no hint of betrayal.

However, caution remained necessary. He would observe for a while longer; after all, they belonged to the same lineage... The Wolf King muttered internally, then commanded the Yokai to advance once more.

Beside him, a faint curve played on Xiu Ze’s lips.

The Yokai army resumed its journey, encountering numerous obstructions along the way. One example was the hidden, muddy mires beneath their feet. Though appearing entirely unremarkable, the moment the Yokai stepped upon them, they were swallowed by the swamp and reduced to mere piles of dry bones.

There were also soul-snatching, life-taking explosive traps. These traps were not placed on the ground but suspended in mid-air, yet they were completely transparent, invisible even to the naked eye, and undetectable even by spiritual energy (Yao Qi). The moment a Yokai touched one, they instantly detonated, leaving no remains behind.

But the most terrifying element was the Illusionary Domain. Upon entering an area shrouded in faint mist, the Yokai were instantly hypnotized, leading to mental collapse where they perceived their comrades as their most hated enemies and engaged in frantic slaughter, incurring heavy casualties.

Other obstacles included carnivorous flora, attacks from ferocious beasts, and abnormal weather patterns—if one could conceive of it, it existed, severely impeding the Yokai advance. Nevertheless, under Xiu Ze’s insightful and decisive leadership, every barrier was dismantled one by one. Though many of the vanguard Yokai died, the main force was ultimately preserved intact.

Moments later, they arrived at the location of the Witch Shen Qi... It was a green altar. Though it appeared empty, everyone knew the Witch resided within. The only reason the Witch remained undiscovered was because the altar was cloaked in an illusion.

“Commander Xiu Ze truly lives up to his reputation. Had you not assisted us this time, our journey would likely have been precarious,” the Wolf King said sincerely, cupping his hands as he looked upon the Witch’s imminent stronghold.

The reality was undeniable: had only those with little knowledge of the Witch ventured forth, not only would the vanguard have been lost, but the main contingent would have suffered severe losses. This situation arose because the Witch’s home-field advantage was overwhelmingly potent; a favorable environment could amplify a Witch's combat ability by geometric progression.

He then sighed, “Alas, I suspected you might intentionally sow discord earlier. I see now that I was overly suspicious. Please forgive me.”

Xiu Ze smiled and replied humbly, “It is nothing. As I mentioned before, our commitment to this operation is genuine, and we hold nothing back. Of course, the Wolf King’s suspicion was not entirely unfounded. Now that everything is clear, that is for the best. I only hope the Wolf King remembers the terms we previously agreed upon.”

“Naturally. My only objective is to avenge my son by killing the Witch. Everything else is yours, Commander,” the Wolf King stated decisively. After the events that had just transpired, he was completely convinced of the Demon Race’s sincerity and harbored no more doubts.

“But there are the other Yokai; they...” Xiu Ze murmured quietly, his gaze drifting instinctively toward the surrounding Yokai, his meaning clear.

After all, the other Yokai had risked death to come because they were pressured by the Werewolves and also coveted the Witch's spoils. Having sacrificed the majority of their retainers, they certainly would not yield those gains easily.

“Hmph!” The Wolf King scoffed dismissively. “Why concern ourselves with them? With one command from me, they absolutely dare not voice dissent. Commander, proceed as you see fit.”

As a seasoned strategist, the Wolf King understood priorities: whether to offend the majority of Yokai lords to gain favor with the Demon Race, or to elevate the Yokai of other factions and risk alienating the Demons, required no thought at all.

Setting aside the Demon Race’s inexhaustible military might and the endless treasures and resources from other dimensions, Xiu Ze alone possessed a value exceeding all the lords present. If Xiu Ze were not already holding a high position within the Demon Race, the Wolf King would have entertained thoughts of poaching him.

Xiu Ze immediately smiled and cupped his hands, “Then I shall rely on the Wolf King’s arrangements.”

“It is my pleasure,” the Wolf King replied with a smile, then waved his hand. The Yokai army immediately encircled the altar, while he, leading the Wolf Clan elites and certain Yokai lords, charged into the structure.

Xiu Ze remained where he was, watching the Wolf King’s retreating silhouette disappear into the altar, a slight smile on his face, his thoughts inscrutable. A moment later, he too led his troops into the altar.

...

Though the altar appeared small from the outside, the interior held a vast, inexplicably spacious realm. Most importantly, it was a maze—branching in every direction, making it impossible to discern the correct path.

“Damn it, this Witch is terrifying. First, endless traps, and now a labyrinth. There are probably ambushes waiting for us in this maze!” The Wolf King cursed under his breath facing the complex structure.

Xiu Ze approached him with a smile. “No matter. This maze looks complicated, but deciphering it is actually quite simple. And to enhance the maze’s disorienting effect, its offensive power must be rather weak. Everyone just needs to follow me.”

With that, Xiu Ze set off forward.

The Wolf King did not hesitate and quickly led his troops to follow.

After walking for nearly half an hour, there was a sudden whoosh, and the surroundings transformed. They had exited the maze, and standing several hundred meters ahead was a white-haired girl, her expression one of surprise.

“Witch Shen Qi, your time to die has come!”

Without a doubt, the white-haired girl was the Witch Shen Qi. Seeing her, the Wolf King roared, and the elite Wolf Clan members beside him immediately surged forward to attack.

Though startled by how easily these intruders navigated her maze, Shen Qi remained composed under pressure, quickly regaining her composure, and stated coldly, “Hmph. Whether you live or die is not yet determined with just this rabble!”

As she spoke, she flicked her wrist, and countless puppets materialized before her, flashing toward the enemy in a lightning assault.

This was Puppet Mastery, but now controlled directly by her, the power was significantly amplified compared to autonomous attacks. Nearly a hundred elite Werewolves were held in check by her single effort.

...

Meanwhile, just as the battle between Shen Qi and the Werewolves commenced, Lin Luo finally reached his destination. Looking at the conspicuous altar not far away, he smiled faintly, “It seems I haven’t arrived too late.”

Because the Extermination Army had paved the way ahead, his journey had been utterly effortless, akin to a parade. Thus, although the two parties set out at different times, their arrival times were very close.

“These fellows must be the ambush force stationed outside, preventing Shen Qi from escaping. Very well, I’ll take them as an appetizer,” Lin Luo muttered to himself, watching the Yokai guarding the altar before activating his killing intent!