Earlier, Red Hairâs attacks had never ceased. Her spear and long hair worked in tandem, forcing one of the Allied Forcesâ leaders into constant defense. He had already activated both his job and bloodline abilities, even resorting to two trump cards just to hold his own against her.
Even with the help of his trusted subordinates around him, it was uselessâletâs not forget, Nine Treasures was still nearby, along with that bizarre spherical lifeform Ye Zhongming had summoned last time, whose defensive power was so absurd even level nine beings struggled against it.
A momentary lapse in focus caused Rustig to make a mistake. Though he threw out a crystal necklace-like piece of equipment to shield himself, Red Hair shattered it in a few strikes, then whipped her spear across his head. The eight-star evolved was instantly knocked unconscious.
Meanwhile, Achinas had just unleashed one of his ultimate moves. The flames from his torch drew a pattern in the air, forming a colossal fire beast. He had hoped to use this beastâs power to reduce Ye Zhongming to ashes, but a graceful water-energy barrier blocked it.
Then, under the storm of Ye Zhongmingâs blade strikes, Achinas found himself scrambling to defend, far from the composed demeanor the Easterner had shown earlier when under his assault.
At this moment, the leader of the human alliance finally realized: he was outmatched.
But he wasnât about to surrender. Raising the torch above his head, he seized an opening created by his Wind-Chasing White Fox mount, allowing a cascade of white flames to pour down and envelop him. Under his breath, he muttered incantationsâclearly preparing a high-powered skill.
With one comrade dead and another injured, Achinas was now unleashing his full strength.
Ye Zhongmingâs blade strikes slashed into the flames, but to little effect. Though the fire dimmed slightly, breaking through would take timeâtime Achinas would use to complete his skill.
So Ye Zhongming simply sheathed his blade and drew the Harvester Mimicry Shooter, switching to sniper mode and activating the "Pierce" skillâthe best ability in this purple-grade weapon for breaking defenses.
He loaded a freshly crafted blue-grade bullet.
On top of that, he employed a gun technique, attempting to make the bullet bypass the flames entirely upon firing.
But it didnât work.
The bullet was still blocked by the flames, creating a surreal scene as the two forces clashed.
The bullet came to a standstill before the fire, though "standstill" was relative. The projectile itself spun furiously, while the flames formed an energy vortex that rotated around it.
It was a contest of strength, each side waiting to see who would break first.
Ye Zhongming was surprised after firing this shot.
He knew exactly how powerful an attack from a purple-grade weapon enhanced by gun techniques and micro-engraved bullets could be, let alone one specialized in breaking defenses.
For the first time, he regarded this torchâcapable of both offense and defenseâwith newfound respect.
Anything that could impress a super craftsman like him had to be among the best.
The stalemate between bullet and flame energy lasted only briefly. About two seconds later, the fire energy explodedâsoundlessly, with only a shockwave of force that even Ye Zhongming had to step back to withstand.
On the other side, the bullet emerged victorious, drilling into Achinasâs lung mid-incantation. The eight-star commander of the human alliance let out a bloodcurdling scream, bleeding from all seven orifices as his body crumpled to the ground.
His injuries were severe, but not just from the bullet. Ye Zhongming could clearly see that it was already spent by the time the projectile broke through the flames. It hadnât even fully penetrated Achinasâs body, merely piercing his armor and lodging in his lung. Most of the alliance leaderâs damage came from the backlash of his interrupted skill.
Achinasâs sudden defeat caught his mount and allies completely off guard. At this point, the battleâs outcome was all but decided.
When Ye Zhongmingâs blade touched Achinasâs neck, the entire Allied Forces ceased fighting.
The battle hadnât lasted long, but the casualty ratio was staggering thanks to the absolute strength of Cloud Peakâs high-level war beasts, the female guard, and the Youth Army, plus their prior preparations.
Cloudtop suffered zero deaths, with only a hundred or so injured, none critically. These wounds would heal within days for a faction with healing crystals and all manner of restorative potions.
But the human alliance? One eight-star evolved dead, five captured, and over fifteen thousand casualties.
Many among the Allied Forces couldnât comprehend how such a lopsided casualty ratio could occur when their numbers so vastly outmatched the enemyâs?
"The army... will come... and you... will all die."
Achinas, now held aloft by Ye Zhongming, had lost all traces of his former imposing demeanor.
"We... we have enough... enough to drown you."
Ye Zhongming shrugged, utterly unfazed. "Your army wonât even see us."
Achinas coughed, spitting two mouthfuls of blood, though, being an eight-star evolved, even injuries this severe hadnât killed him.
"I donât understand... why youâre doing this."
He truly didnât. What did these Easterners want? They had arrived and attacked without the slightest warning.
Of course, Achinas had no way of knowing that his trusted Pei Jia had tried to extort them, only to get slapped down instantly.
Ye Zhongming glanced toward Yakutsk.
"Itâs simple, really. I just needed some nutrient bodies... and you all happened to be perfect for the job."