The Battle Opportunity Brought by the Enemy

The moment the evil aura emanated, the group of human experts who had been hesitating about entering the valley immediately realized something was wrong.

"It has an aura somewhat like the abyss. It seems there's something wrong with this hidden valley. Should we try casting a Forbidden Spell inside first?"

Morrison suggested with a chuckle.

Only these old guys could talk about releasing Forbidden Spell so casually and easily.

"Come on, Morrison. We don't object to you having a blood feud with the Behemoth Emperor and wanting to take this opportunity to kill him, but you should at least wait until you force him to reveal the Longevity Secret Method."

A Great Sorcerer replied irritably.

They're all practically half-buried, and the Longevity Secret Method is right in front of them. If they don't seize Behemoth Emperor and interrogate him, who can be content with that?

"Kurt, you're wronging me. Behemoth Emperor were so easy to kill, he wouldn't be alive now."

The Forbidden Spell is so loud that if we release Forbidden Spell a little slower, that old geezer can definitely dodge it.

Moreover, the Behemoth Clan possesses considerable resources. As far as I know, the Behemoth Emperor owns a divine armor. Even if he cannot fully unleash the armor's power, it wouldn't be so easy to break through.

Unless hit by a single-target, high-damage Forbidden Spell, it won't kill him. To force him to reveal the Longevity Secret Method, beating him half to death is just what you need.

Morrison quickly offered an explanation.

When it comes to matters of "immortality," we must not allow any misunderstandings.

The assembled experts were all high-ranking and powerful figures, possessing an exceptionally strong will to survive. Anyone who dared to block their path to immortality would become their mortal enemy.

"Morrison is right, Behemoth Emperor won't die so easily. At this point, it's always good to be cautious."

This valley is too eerie. The deathly aura is far beyond what an ordinary valley should have. It is obvious at a glance that it was built up from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

There's also an evil aura emanating from the abyss; there might be a rift connecting to the abyss here. If we hadn't intervened, and the Behemoth Emperor had unleashed a horde of monsters, it would have been a huge problem.

Forget about Forbidden Spell, let's just throw in a few high-level spells to test the waters first.

A kind-faced old magician chimed in.

Experience makes all the difference. With so many powerful figures gathered here, even if the Behemoth Emperor tries to be discreet, someone will still be able to spot the problem.

The group exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement. Sometimes, suspicion is enough; evidence isn't even necessary.

In the blink of an eye, the valley began to shake violently, as if it had been overturned.

"Earth-type Super-Tier Magic - Earth Flip Heaven Overturn!"

Recognizing the enemy's attack, Behemoth Emperor, who was hiding in the valley's secret passage, glanced at the collapsing passage and hurriedly rushed out of it back into the valley.

The valley was surrounded by enemies; going out now would be like delivering himself to their doorstep. Even knowing that staying inside the valley would likely make him the first target of the Demons, he had no choice.

"Damn human scum, I curse you all..."

The angry shouting had barely begun when Behemoth Emperor was forced to stop.

Countless Demons burst forth from the abyss rift, baring their fangs and claws as they charged toward them, each uttering a sinister "heh heh" laugh.

Looking into their eyes, it was as if people who hadn't eaten for three days had suddenly found themselves surrounded by a feast of delicacies.

"Run!"

The moment the idea formed in their minds, the group didn't hesitate for a moment and darted out.

The enemies outside want the Longevity Secret Method, and they won't easily kill them before they get their hands on it. But these Demons are different; they only want their flesh and souls.

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Just as the group was escaping, the entire valley was overturned, and the flying dust and falling rocks made the drooling Demons live a life of eating dirt.

Glancing at the overturned Altar, the old priest cursed under his breath. Without the Altar's coordinates to guide him, accurately smuggling himself through the turbulent time-space currents was virtually impossible.

It's clearly unreliable to expect these Demons to perish together with the human powerhouses outside.

"Little Behemoth, is it you who summoned me here?"

Upon hearing the rude voice, the old priest was not annoyed at all; instead, he revealed a smug smile.

He finally summoned a powerful Magic Creature. Whether it could wipe out the human powerhouses outside was unknown, but at least it gave him a chance to escape.

"Yes, Demon Lord!"

Seemingly pleased with the title, the Nine-headed Monster with wings and fangs nodded slightly, then followed up with:

"Why are the offerings outside filled with a deathly aura? Don't you know that I prefer pure souls and flesh?"

Upon hearing the greeting, the old priest inwardly cursed the fool.

The scene before him told him that this demon king seemed to be not very bright.

Without even understanding the situation, he's using the enemy outside as a sacrifice. Want a pure soul? Dream on!

They really thought he was a follower of the Demons, someone who would give anything for the power bestowed by the Demons!

"My Lord Demon King, what's outside is only a part of the offerings. Please make do with what you have."

This is the material plane; you can have as many pure souls as you want. Wait..."

Before he could finish speaking, a barrage of magical attacks had already descended.

Clearly, the situation inside the valley has been exposed. Faced with a group of Demons, the human powerhouses will not hold back.

"Damn humans, you're courting death! Come with me and tear these scum out there to shreds!"

The Demons King roared in fury as he led his remaining minions outside.

Taking advantage of a lull in the fighting, the old priest hurriedly tore open a spatial scroll and fled, instantly reaching a distance of ten miles.

Space mages are rare to begin with, and those who can create teleportation scrolls are even rarer.

Each one is one less available; this was obtained by the old priest during an expedition and has been treasured ever since.

It can teleport you ten miles at once, making it an absolute lifesaver. The only problem is that you can't control its location.

For example, the old priest is having a really bad time right now. He not only fell flat on his face, but he also ended up back on the same route they had taken to escape.

I had just gotten up from the ground and hadn't even had time to steady myself when I heard shouts of battle.

"He's fallen onto the battlefield," but it's no use realizing it now, as the spears of the nearby human knights are already thrusting towards him.

Even after dodging one shot, another would follow. A Ritual and knight who used magic were forced into close combat, only to be surrounded and beaten by a group of people, leaving them no way out.

The magic shield withstood several attacks, but he was then stabbed to death by a hail of bullets, having used less than a fraction of his full strength.

As soon as they rushed out of the valley, they were surrounded by many powerful human warriors. The Demons, who had just successfully smuggled themselves out, were instantly dumbfounded.

Without a doubt, the perception just now deceived the Demons. Many powerful humans shamelessly concealed their auras, making them undetectable unless seen with one's own eyes.

They thought it was food prepared for them from the outside, but they never expected that it would become their grave as soon as it appeared.

The Demons king, who was in charge, was also extremely nervous. As a stowaway, his strength was severely suppressed, and he was unable to use many of his abilities when adapting to the rules of the new world.

"Foolish humans, surrender to the great Demon King Dragul at once, and offer up your souls and flesh..."

Before the Demons King could figure out how to end this, his Demons minions had already gone out to rant and rave.

As expected, he was met with the "judgment of justice." He was instantly killed by the human powerhouse before he could finish his provocative words.

Everyone knows that Demons love to torment people, offering up their souls and flesh, leaving them unable to live or die.

"Let's talk this over. I'm just passing by. Do whatever you want, it's none of my business. Goodbye!"

As he spoke, Dragon's figure had already vanished from the spot. He had no choice but to run away; this material plane was far too dangerous. Just outside any random valley, there were so many powerful beings second only to him, making it utterly unsuitable for Demons to survive.

The ability to survive and thrive in the treacherous abyss is largely due to Dragon's ability to assess situations and adapt to changing circumstances.

Running away when you can't win isn't shameful for Demons. The ones who truly deserve contempt are the unfortunate souls who tried to escape but failed.

Dorrag was unlucky; he had only fled halfway when a giant sword gleaming with cold light came hurtling towards him.

Having dodged the fatal blow, a bolt of lightning struck him precisely on the head, causing Dorrag to tremble violently.

His body paused briefly as countless attacks rained down on him. At the critical moment, his innate instincts began to unleash their power, and after sacrificing a head, Dragon's aura surged.

"Foolish humans, you have successfully angered this Demon King! Now, die!"

As he spoke, a dense aura of evil continuously gathered around Mondora's body, as if he were about to self-destruct, which frightened everyone into retreating hastily.

Then, Dragon's body became ethereal, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in the valley. Self-destruction was impossible; for a qualified Demon Lord, lying was merely a basic requirement of Demons.

"The enemy is still in the valley. This is a fire-type Demons king, and his strength likely surpasses that of an ordinary Holy Domain. Quickly unleash the forbidden water Forbidden Spell — Frozen World —to suppress his power!"

Morrison shouted hurriedly.

Demons are already terrifying enough, but adding a "King" makes them an invincible force on the Aslant Continent.

If the Demons King were to escape, it would inevitably bring a devastating disaster to countless lives on the continent.

Realizing the seriousness of the problem, the group of Water Mage took action.

The temperature between heaven and earth began to drop sharply in an instant, and the whole world turned into a white expanse, as if it had been frozen.

While searching for his way home in the valley, Dorrag immediately realized something was wrong, but he was immediately attacked by a group of powerful human warriors as soon as he showed himself.

Demons king at the Holy Domain level is indeed powerful, but this newly arrived demon king is an exception. Many of his special moves are forced to stop halfway through because they violate the laws of heaven and earth.

As the surrounding environment changed, the flames that had been enveloping Dorag were reduced to a single small flame, as if they might go out at any moment.

Although his body was not seriously injured, his strength was suppressed by half.

Unfortunately, the Altar was destroyed, and even the last Spatial Rift was naturally repaired by the laws of heaven and earth during the delay. There was no way for him to return.

"You all deserve to die!"

In Dapes City, Hudson, who was preparing to lead his army into battle, was bewildered by a report of victory from home.

A great victory was achieved at the front, crushing a million-strong Beastfolk army and killing 300,000 of the Beastfolk main force, forcing the Behemoth Emperor to flee north in panic.

Now they are simultaneously reclaiming lost territory and pursuing the fleeing Beastfolk routs. The vanguard of the "Lord Knights" has already entered the Orc Empire's homeland.

The specific details were not provided, and it is unclear whether the higher-ups are blocking information or whether they are also unaware of the situation on the front lines.

Regardless of how you look at it, this resounding victory is a timely boon for Hudson.

Even if the battle record needs to be discounted, the fact remains that he defeated a million- Beastfolk army and chased the Behemoth Emperor northward.

This earth-shattering victory will directly alter the power structure within the Orc Empire. The Behemoth Emperor, having suffered heavy losses on the front lines, is no longer qualified to remain the leader.

Now it depends on the losses of each of the Five Great Royal Families. If the losses are shared proportionally, then the balance of power can continue.

If one or two factions suffer a major loss of power, the already fragile political balance of the Orc Empire will crumble in an instant.

With the balance broken, for Beastfolk Five Great Royal Families, joining forces to invade the human race became a secondary matter; preserving their strength was the more important thing.

Defeated by the human race is a minor issue; they have failed countless times in the past.

No matter how severe the blow to morale, after a few decades, when the younger generation grows up, they will forget the defeat and rally to fight back.

In contrast, losing in internal strife is the real failure.

At its peak, the Orc Empire was not ruled by Five Great Royal Families, but by a coexistence of numerous races.

Frankly speaking, Hudson also greatly admired the guy who founded the Orc Empire.

According to the original political structure of the Orc Empire, if it were handled properly, it would have been entirely possible to integrate the many races on the Aslant Continent and establish a vast regime that unified the entire continent.

However, although the framework and concept were lofty enough, the Orc Empire was also very open, allowing any race to join.

It was through the alliance of multiple races and the continuous recruitment of new members that the Orc Empire established its continental hegemony.

Unfortunately, even the best system cannot withstand the corruption of self-interest. The promise of shared governance among all races was broken as more races joined, internal strife intensified.

The addition of one race after another propelled the Orc Empire to its zenith, while simultaneously dragging it down to hell.

At its most glorious period, not only were humans forced to join, but even the proud elves were compelled to submit applications to join.

Just as the unification of the continent was nearing its peak, with no enemies to be found anywhere on the continent, the internal conflicts within the Orc Empire were also intensified.

The races that were originally forced to join first stirred up trouble within the empire, and after the internal strife broke out, they directly broke away and became independent.

The Orc Empire declined from its peak, but its hegemony was barely maintained. It wasn't until the land of the Aslant Continent was almost entirely divided up that the various factions truly began to clash.

The history books only mentioned it briefly before entering the era when the chosen race—humans—dominated the continent.

How many secrets were hidden behind this, Hudson had no idea. After all, he wasn't a historian and had no interest in delving into the story behind it all.

He was able to think of these things because he had a vague grasp of a certain pattern: concentrate strength to strike one of the Five Great Royal Families and forcibly provoke internal strife within the Orc Empire.

In any case, the birth rate of the five great Beastfolk Five Great Royal Families is not high, so even if they dominate the entire empire, they cannot become more powerful.

Let alone invading from the south, the mere suppression of the countless races within the empire would be enough to keep them constantly on the run.

If they're lucky, the Orc Empire might just return to an era of autonomy for all races.

Without a strong, unified government, there would only be Beastfolk and no empire; at best, it would be a "loser's front alliance."

Compared to the major races on the continent with their glorious civilizations, the numerous races within the Beastfolk are truly nothing to boast about.

Even the Five Great Royal Families of the Beastfolk today would be insignificant minor clans if placed alone on the Aslant Continent.

Hudson was a man of action; once he had an idea, he would put it into practice. Although he was unaware of the individual losses of Beastfolk Five Great Royal Families, Hudson still set his sights on his old rival—the bear-men.

The reason is very simple: the bear-men are mostly infantry.

If a major defeat occurs at the front and everyone is fleeing in panic, infantry will definitely not be able to outrun cavalry. Especially Heavy Infantry wearing thick armor, they will have almost no chance of escaping.

It's highly likely that the Bearman Imperial Court suffered the greatest losses, so continuing to relentlessly attack the Bearman army is definitely the right thing to do.