Umus's near-pleading surrender finally brought Desperate Phantom's advancing steps to a halt. Desperate Phantom instinctively looked toward Ye Luo, and that gesture stirred something in Ye Luo's heart.
"Let him go..." Ye Luo nodded.
Desperate Phantom released his jaws, and Umus scrambled backward on all fours until he reached Ye Lei's feet. In his eyes now, Ye Lei—who had knocked him unconscious twice—was far more lovable than that ferocious Demon Beast that treated him like food at every turn.
"Y-you clearly said you would count to five! How did you go from four straight to one..." Having escaped the brink of death, Umus suddenly burst into tearful cries.
Ye Luo frowned deeply. Any true powerhouse not only grew stronger, but also developed an exceptionally steadfast mind through extensive training and experience. Yet this thing before him clearly possessed the combat power of level seventeen, but he feared death and bawled like a child. How had he cultivated to level seventeen?
At that moment, Ye Wang walked to Ye Luo's side and spoke softly. "My Emperor, the Zerg Hive is now less than a hundred li from Black Swamp!"
Ye Luo nodded. "Umus, cut the nonsense and summon your demon dragon..."
Umus rose to his feet with extreme reluctance. He glanced at the Zerg heroes surrounding him, then mournfully began gathering energy. Yet as demonic energy washed through his newly repaired body, sharp pain immediately surged through him. Umus gave a muffled groan and bent over, beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolling down his forehead as his entire body swayed unsteadily.
Ye Lei thrust out his fist and glared. "Little loach, what tricks are you trying to pull now?!"
Umus struggled to open his mouth and explain, but instead coughed up a mouthful of black blood. His eyes rolled