"Pfft!"
Little Black Sword, wrapped in bone-chilling cold, pierced straight through the chest of the Qi Transformation Realm Devil Race member. Profound Ice True Qi instantly surged into his body, frantically freezing his meridians and dark energy.
"Ughhh—"
The alien leader let out a shrill scream. Under the erosion of the Profound Ice True Qi, his body quickly stiffened, finally transforming into an ice sculpture before crashing to the ground.
"Chief!"
Seeing this, the remaining members of the Dark Demon Race immediately fell into chaos. Fang Yan pressed his advantage, fully unleashing the Profound Ice Domain and enveloping several nearby Bone Refining Realm members of the Devil Race. The low temperature within the domain slowed their movements. Little Black Sword flashed up and down in Fang Yan's hand, and as sword light swept past, several heads rolled across the dust.
"Kill!"
The human martial artists lying in ambush throughout the area were greatly encouraged by the sight. They rushed out of their hiding spots and launched a fierce assault on the disorganized Dark Demon Race. Chu Feng covered his bleeding shoulder while continuing to direct the archers in precise volleys; Lin Mengyao's Flowing Water Sword Technique grew ever more nimble, her sword shadows weaving like a net as she continuously reaped the enemies' lives; meanwhile, Li Hao led his team in using the boulders prepared beforehand to block the canyon passage, keeping most of the Dark Demon Race outside.
However, the mutated beasts controlled by dark energy remained unaffected. After losing their leader's commands, they became even more frenzied. In particular, the enormous Black Wind Leopard, seeing its companions slain, flashed a trace of scarlet in its eyes before abruptly turning and pouncing toward Fang Yan.
"Look out!" Lin Mengyao shouted. She wanted to come over and support him, but several Ironclad Bears tangled her up.
Fang Yan steadied his mind and gathered Profound Ice True Qi across his body, forming a thin layer of ice armor. Facing the Black Wind Leopard's ambush, he neither dodged nor retreated, instead sweeping Little Black Sword horizontally.
"Clang!"
The blade collided with the Black Wind Leopard's sharp claws, sending sparks flying in all directions. The Black Wind Leopard possessed tremendous strength, and Fang Yan was shaken back repeatedly, his arm numb. But his Profound Ice True Qi had not been useless. A thread of cold seeped into the Black Wind Leopard's body along its claws, causing its movements to pause slightly.
At that instant, Fang Yan seized the opportunity, leaping into the air as Little Black Sword stabbed straight toward the Black Wind Leopard's throat. This was the mutated beast's weakest point, as well as the key point through which the dark energy controlled it.
"Pfft!"
The sword pierced its target precisely. The Black Wind Leopard let out a short, mournful howl, and its huge body crashed to the ground. The scarlet in its eyes gradually faded, returning to their original clarity, and then its breath stilled.
After dealing with the Black Wind Leopard, Fang Yan had no time to catch his breath before immediately turning to support the others. By then, the battle inside the canyon had entered its fiercest stage. Although the human martial artists were elite, the Dark Demon Race outnumbered them too greatly. Coupled with the charge of several Ironclad Bears, they were gradually being forced onto the back foot.
"Everyone, focus your attacks on the Ironclad Bears' bellies!" Fang Yan shouted as he charged toward an Ironclad Bear.
He circulated Profound Ice True Qi, concentrated his strength into his right fist, and slammed it viciously into the Ironclad Bear's belly. There was no thick armor protecting that spot—it was its soft underbelly.
"Bang!"
After taking the punch, the Ironclad Bear let out a howl of pain and staggered back several steps. The fur on its belly was shaken loose, revealing tender pink skin covered in a thin layer of frost.
"Now!"
Several martial artists immediately closed in. Their longswords shot out together, stabbing toward the Ironclad Bear's belly. Before it could react, several longswords pierced through it, and it crashed to the ground.
With Fang Yan leading the way, the human martial artists followed suit, concentrating their fire on the Ironclad Bears' weaknesses. One Ironclad Bear after another fell, and with the Dark Demon Race deprived of its greatest aid, their ranks instantly collapsed.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"
Seeing that the tide had turned, the remaining members of the Dark Demon Race no longer had any desire to fight. They fled toward the canyon's exit in a swarm. Fang Yan did not order a pursuit. He knew that his task was to delay them, not wipe them out. Moreover, after this fierce battle, the team had suffered considerable casualties and needed to recover in time.
"Clear the battlefield and treat the wounded!" Fang Yan ordered.
The martial artists immediately got to work. Some gathered the spoils of war, while others treated their injured companions. Chu Feng's shoulder had been bandaged, but his face remained pale. Lin Mengyao and Li Hao had also sustained injuries of varying degrees, yet their gazes remained firm.
"Fang Yan, we did it!" Li Hao walked over, a trace of exhaustion on his face that could not conceal his excitement.
Fang Yan nodded. Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground and his wounded companions, he felt a jumble of emotions. "We only drove them back temporarily. The main force of the Dark Demon Race is still out there, and the battles ahead will be even more difficult."
He raised his head and looked toward the outside of the canyon, a grave look flashing in his eyes. He knew that this had only been a small-scale skirmish. The true great battle had only just begun.
Just then, a familiar engine sound came from the distance. Fang Yan's heart leaped, and he looked toward the source of the noise. A squadron of hovering battle vehicles was speeding toward the canyon, the flags of the Human Alliance fluttering from them.
"The reinforcements are here!" one of the martial artists shouted excitedly.
Everyone revealed joyful smiles, their tightly strung nerves finally relaxing. Watching the reinforcements draw closer and closer, Fang Yan silently steeled his resolve: No matter the cost, I must defend Black Wind Canyon and safeguard humanity's hope.
Before you continue