That phrase applies perfectly to the Witch, because although the Witch has always been a solitary figure, she is never truly alone, no matter the moment.

She has her dolls, her puppets, her illusions that control the mind... all these abilities grant her a vast number of reinforcements.

Facing one Witch is equivalent to facing an entire colossal army.

The ones sent to deal with Shinki this time were all top-tier powerhouses among the Western monstrous forces; every single one was an elite. Even the cannon fodder clearing the path previously were stronger than the Thirteen Protectors. Among the attackers, excluding the Lord-level monsters, the strongest squads were naturally the Werewolf Elites and the Demon Elites.

The first to launch an attack against Shinki were the Werewolf Elites. Nearly a hundred of them surged forward, their boundless battle intent erupting into a tangible, blood-red light that swept over Shinki like a deluge. That sheer momentum alone was enough to terrify people to death.

But Shinki’s expression remained unchanged. With a mere flick of her wrist, the empty space before her instantly filled with dolls. These dolls were arranged in ten rows, fifteen in each, every one wielding a sword or a magic staff. They completely ignored the materialized battle intent, thrusting their blades forward in perfect unison.

With a resounding clatter, the materialized blood-red light was instantly shattered into dust. Then, the magic-wielding dolls in the rear seized the opportunity to unleash area-of-effect magic.

“Dark Domain!”

No incantation was needed. As the slightly stiff words issued from the dolls’ mouths, a colossal black curtain suddenly descended from the sky, completely enveloping the Werewolf Elites. Following this, the remaining melee-focused dolls swiftly rushed into the black curtain and immediately commenced a furious assault.

This display of doll manipulation was leagues beyond what they had encountered in the forest; even Alice, known for her 'Seven-Colored Humanoid Embodiment,' seemed insignificant compared to Shinki at this moment.

Within the black curtain, the werewolves suffered the erosion of the darkness, their physical attributes declining and even their spirits feeling sluggish, all while enduring the relentless onslaught of the close-combat dolls. Having lost their advantage, casualties quickly began to mount among them.

Xiuzhe watched, his brow furrowing slightly, and remarked, "This Dark Domain is a secret magic of our Demon Clan, only learnable by high-ranking demons. To think she can wield this spell through puppets—it seems we have underestimated her power... Vice-General, take the brothers and give them some assistance."

He spoke the last sentence to his subordinate standing nearby.

"Yes, Commander!" The Vice-General acknowledged and was about to step forward.

However, before he could take a single step, the West Wolf King raised a hand to stop him, stating calmly, "It is alright. Commander, you and your brothers have worked hard getting here. Let us handle this battle. As for the children of my Wolf Clan, there is no need to worry; they unleash their greatest power when pushed to the absolute limit."

Although the West Wolf King’s suspicion of Xiuzhe had vanished, and he intended to show goodwill toward the Demon Clan, this did not mean he lacked a competitive spirit. On the way here, nearly all the ambushes had been broken by Xiuzhe’s forces without the Wolf Clan exerting any effort. If the Demon Clan were allowed to act again now, what role would they play? Simply spectators?

Therefore, the dignity that needed to be contested had to be fought for.

"In that case, I will simply observe from the sidelines," Xiuzhe, possessing a mind as intricate as an exquisite carving, immediately grasped the other's intention and smiled slightly, choosing not to interfere further.

The West Wolf King nodded, inwardly satisfied. His assessment of Xiuzhe rose yet again; this man did not strive aggressively for everything, taking what was due and letting go of what was not—truly a talent among talents.

He then glanced at the surrounding Monster Lords, though he said nothing, his meaning was perfectly clear.

As the overall leader of the legion, the West Wolf King could not be the first to act, just as in human warfare—it was illogical for the commander to charge the front lines while the soldiers merely watched from the rear.

At this moment, the Witch Shinki was unleashing one bizarre technique after another, and even the strongest Wolf Clan elites were struggling to withstand them. It went without saying that the other monsters fared worse. If they were caught in Shinki’s mind-controlling illusions, not only could they not help, but they would become a major liability. Only the Lord-level monsters could resist Shinki’s mental domination.

Seeing the West Wolf King's gaze, the Lords were immediately stirred. Not one of them was indifferent to the benefits promised by the Witch. If they could reap the rewards without risk, they would never venture to kill her. But, as the saying goes, might makes right. Despite their reluctance, they had no choice but to fight.

Thus, dozens of Lords immediately surged toward Shinki.

Shinki was no fool. Knowing that these Lords' strength far surpassed that of the Wolf Clan elites, she immediately retreated, her delicate hand sweeping out to scatter a patch of faint mist.

“Be careful, it’s poison mist!” one of the Lords cried out upon seeing this.

Even these Monster Lords dared not be careless around the Witch’s poison mist. Sensing the intense toxicity emanating from the fog, they instinctively chose to retreat, holding their breath and activating their body shields to prevent intrusion.

As the poison mist failed to find targets, a portion remained suspended in the air, but the majority settled onto the ground. Immediately, large sections of stone on the ground were corroded away, demonstrating the sheer virulence of the poison.

Of course, each of these Monster Lords possessed unique skills. Several among them specialized in poison and completely ignored the terrifying mist, charging straight through. One even swallowed the entire cloud of mist in one gulp, then opened its mouth and violently spewed it toward Shinki—fighting poison with poison.

However, Shinki possessed more than just poison skills and puppetry. Seeing these few Lords charging forward with apparent disregard for death, she smiled coldly. Then, spreading both arms wide, two enormous black wings sprouted from her back. With a vigorous flap, her entire form shot high into the air in an instant.

Instantly escaping the encirclement of the Monster Lords, Shinki hovered in the void, beating her wings as she looked down upon the crowd below, a sneer plastered across her face, as if declaring: Suckers! Your Sister can fly!

“Wings of a Demon?!” The West Wolf King, watching from a distance, immediately changed color and gasped involuntarily.

Though he had no close ties with the Demon Clan, he had a certain understanding of these peak beings from other worlds whose strength rivaled the Three Great Races, and this included the Wings of a Demon.

Generally, every demon possesses wings; even the lowest-ranking demons have them, though these wings are often small and serve little purpose beyond flight, acting more as decoration. For high-ranking demons, flight is merely a basic function. Furthermore, the wings can serve as weapons, defensive barriers, or even as activation conduits, and in some cases, even as substitute life forces.

Theoretically, the larger and more numerous the wings, the higher the individual’s status within the Demon Clan!

Shinki’s wings, each span nearly ten meters long, completely stunned the West Wolf King. To possess such massive Wings of a Demon meant she was an apex among high-ranking demons, possibly even of Demon Royal lineage!

He instinctively glanced at Xiuzhe beside him and noticed the lack of significant shock on his face. Only then did he understand why a major figure like Xiuzhe had come to this world personally to deal with the Witch Shinki, and why he was so obsessed with the secret she held... If the secrets held by such a high-level demon were to fall into other hands, it would be a massive blow to the Demon Clan.

"Commander Xiuzhe, I won't ask about her identity, but... are you truly planning to kill her?" the West Wolf King asked in a deep voice. A high-ranking demon like Shinki must be exceptionally rare and undoubtedly noble within the Demon Clan. Even if she had become a Witch, it didn't mean the Demon Clan would abandon her. Thus, he once again questioned the Demon Clan's true intentions.

Xiuzhe did not look at him, his gaze fixed on Shinki fluttering her wings in the sky, and stated solemnly, "It seems the Wolf King still distrusts me. I don't have time to explain now. If you have doubts, you are free to leave. I will handle this Witch alone... Regardless, I have an obligation to account for the Princess’s death!"

Account for the Princess’s death?

This statement stirred the West Wolf King, prompting an instinctive guess: Shinki, being a high-level demon, it wasn't strange for her to have contact with, or even study alongside, the Demon Princess. Then, one day, Shinki underwent a mutation and became a Witch. Everyone knew that a Witch in the initial stages of mutation was the most terrifying, and if the Demon Princess happened to be near Shinki at that time... the Princess undoubtedly became the first victim of Shinki’s transformation. That explained why Xiuzhe would say such a thing.

Seeing the resolute expression on Xiuzhe’s face, the West Wolf King felt his conjecture was likely accurate, and he replied, "Commander Xiuzhe, you take this too seriously. Of course, I trust you."

The West Wolf King firmly believed his deductions, thus dispelling any lingering doubts about Xiuzhe. After all, who was the Demon Princess? In the Demon Clan, there was no concept of male superiority; women often held even higher status, and most Demon Kings in history were women. In other words, the Demon Princess was virtually the next Demon King, and Shinki had killed someone like that... Even if his own son were castrated, it would be insignificant compared to this event.

Unknowingly, the West Wolf King felt a degree of internal equilibrium return.

"Thousand Falling Rain Blades!"

Just then, Shinki in the sky began her attack. As her voice faded, the pair of black wings emitted a dark violet glow. The void seemed to tear open, and countless blade-shapes appeared around the wings. Then, these blades descended like raindrops.

"Commander Xiuzhe, let us attack together!" Seeing this, the West Wolf King stopped playing coy, frowned, and shouted as he charged into the sky.

The Witch's horror lay not in visibility, but in her myriad strange and mysterious techniques. But now, he and Shinki were face-to-face, and she had even revealed her Wings of a Demon. He was absolutely confident in defeating Shinki alone. However, high-ranking demons were extremely fast, and while he was confident in defeating her, he was not confident in preventing her escape. Therefore, he set aside his prior stubbornness and invited Xiuzhe to strike together.

"Good, that is what I intended," Xiuzhe replied, also ascending into the sky. Although he lacked wings, at his level, flight was as effortless as breathing.

Though the countless blades were fiercely sharp, they proved incapable of doing much against the peak existences of the West Wolf King and Xiuzhe. After all, the Witch was never known for overwhelming offensive power.

The West Wolf King roared, his aura surging as his body instantly expanded slightly. Completely ignoring the innumerable blades, he rushed upward. The blades struck him as if hitting metal and stone, producing clang, clang, clang sounds, yet he remained unharmed.

Xiuzhe, meanwhile, utilized his extreme speed, weaving back and forth through the sword rain. No matter how dense the barrage, not a single hair on his head was touched.

The Monster Lords below had initially intended to only play a superficial role, as none were fools—every life was precious. The West Wolf King was clearly using them, and they knew it, so they had no intention of exerting their full strength. After all, the Witch was notorious; if so many of them were defeated by her, what did it matter? It was better than losing their lives.

Consequently, despite their fierce display earlier, they had held back significantly. But now that the West Wolf King and Xiuzhe had personally engaged, they could no longer slack off, lest they never get a chance to spectate again, even if they got away with it this time.

With that thought, they dared not hide their strength any longer, charging toward the sky in a unified surge.

On the other side, although Shinki was fending them off, the West Wolf King and Xiuzhe were superior to her in true strength, and the two rapidly closed in on her.

Shinki was alarmed but composed. Looking at Xiuzhe, she gritted her teeth and said, "Xiuzhe! I didn't expect even you to come after me. When I saw you earlier, I knew you brought these brutes; otherwise, they never could have navigated the ambushes so quickly... Truly worthy of being that person's loyal dog!"

Xiuzhe’s expression remained blank as he stated plainly, "Since you know I am a loyal dog, you should know my objective. Wrong deeds require payment; that applies to everyone. It’s just your misfortune that you became a Witch."

Xiuzhe’s words did nothing to calm Shinki; instead, her expression grew angrier, tinged with a faint savagery. But ultimately, she merely moved her lips, saying nothing. Then, taking a deep breath, she declared, "Fine, if that’s the case, I’ll take you all down with me!"

With these words spoken, Shinki let out a piercing shriek. The sound pierced the clouds and reached the firmament, causing the very sky to tremble. Yet, the sound was saturated with endless grief and indignation.

Hearing this cry, everyone’s expression shifted dramatically.

Because they all knew what that wail represented... the Witch’s Ultimate Scream!

There were four notorious maxims circulating in this world: the Ghost’s Drinking Binge, the Werewolf’s Frenzy, the Vampire’s Nightly Satiation, and finally, the Witch’s Scream.

Ghosts love to drink, and intoxication makes them stronger. Werewolves, once injured and driven mad, see their combat power multiply terrifyingly. Vampires, having fed sufficiently during the night, are synonymous with invincibility. And then... if a Witch unleashes her terminal scream, it signals that countless lives will be forfeit, including her own.

Throughout recorded history, every time a Witch uttered this scream, it heralded imminent death.

They had been dreading the possibility of Shinki unleashing the Ultimate Scream, but typically, a Witch only chose this suicidal path when cornered. Thus, if the Wolf King and Xiuzhe could jointly finish Shinki swiftly, nothing would happen. But they never expected... the scream to be unleashed barely as the fight began. This was utterly horrifying!

“Damn it!” The West Wolf King immediately gnashed his teeth and threw out a palm strike. Instantly, boundless demonic energy surged forth like a tangible tide toward Shinki.

“Hahahaha!” Shinki ignored the attack entirely, standing rooted to the spot, laughing wildly. The blow struck her solidly with a loud boom, and she was violently blasted away, a string of blood scattering across the sky.

However, she stabilized herself in the air quickly, because even without conscious defense, her twin wings would automatically protect their master—that was the advantage of a high-ranking demon.

Of course, even with the wings shielding her, the Wolf King’s furious strike was not minor.

But Shinki didn't care in the least, laughing loudly, "It's useless! My intent of mutual destruction has already been sent out through prayer. Even if you kill me, no one here will survive... everyone is doomed!"

“Dream on if you want me dead!” the West Wolf King snorted and rushed toward Shinki again. But halfway through his charge, suddenly...

“Ah... Ptooey!”

“Hey! What’s wrong with you?!”

“How could this be?!”

“Wuuuh...!!”

At that moment, a wave of panic erupted from the monster crowd below. Everyone could sense the widespread terror.

The West Wolf King and the Monster Lords instinctively looked down. They saw that most of the monsters who had been standing were now collapsed on the ground. Half of those who had fallen were already bleeding from all seven orifices and lifeless. The remaining ones were foaming at the mouth and convulsing, and even those still standing swayed precariously, looking as if they might follow suit at any second.

“How... impossible?!” Faced with this scene, the Monster Lords were terrified to the point of losing their souls, and even the West Wolf King felt a chill run down his spine. Could this be the result of the Witch’s Ultimate Scream? Yet, they had never heard of it manifesting this way!

“A killing intent approaches from afar, causing heaven and earth to change color!”

However, just then, a faint voice suddenly echoed in their ears.

Everyone quickly located the source of the sound. At the exit of the labyrinth, a black-haired man walked out slowly. Upon him, boundless killing intent had materialized, powerful enough to dim the very sky... It was Lin Luo!

PS: As mentioned yesterday, if the monthly ticket count reached 680, I would add a fifth update. The final count exceeded that number, but I only posted four chapters, so I owe you one more. However, I was too exhausted yesterday, so please allow me to recover today and I will make up that chapter tomorrow.

There is one more thing: there will be a Double Point event at the end of this month. The Sci-Fi chart is currently crowded with powerful contenders, and every book capable of placing in the top six has subscriptions more than double mine. While I won't give up the fight, if it comes down to a direct confrontation, I will be at a significant disadvantage, so we must strategize! Take advantage of the Double Point event at the end of the month and ask everyone to save their monthly tickets for the last three days, so every vote counts twice. For now, just ensure we don't fall too far behind.

Of course, my updates will not cease. I plan to exert myself this month, aiming for at least 200,000 words, so I hope to give you all a big surprise at the month's end, and I hope you can surprise me as well. September demands relentless pursuit!