Ionia's counterattack came faster than Darius had anticipated.
In the early hours of the morning, just as the morning mist began to envelop the coastline of Baru'e, the Ionia counterattack had already begun.
Led by Master Yi Tayana, who excels in speed, a jungle race in Ionia known for its stealth warfare launched a surprise attack.
Fortunately, the Noxus sent only elite troops this time, and they were prepared for this.
Darius, wielding a giant axe, led the Trifarian Legion in a charge, the axe blade gleaming brightly.
"I knew you insects would pull this stunt. It wasn't for nothing."
After becoming Arcane Warrior, his physical strength and willpower were enhanced in an extraordinary way, and he didn't sleep at all last night.
Sword Saint Master Yi swung his blade rapidly, briefly stopping Darius single-handedly, but only managing to hold him off for a short while.
As the Grand General of Noxus, the opponent was able to defeat most mortals with his innate martial prowess even before taking Arcane Potion, and is now even more formidable.
The long-handled giant axe, covered in a dazzling Arcane white light, was wielded with great force by Darius, and in no time the situation had turned from a stalemate to one of dominance.
Even with his Highlander activated, Master Yi could only parry Darius's attacks, barely managing to cope thanks to his speed advantage.
"What? You dare to launch a surprise attack with such little strength? Do you think we're still the Noxus we used to be?"
As Darius taunted, several more Arcane Warrior charged out from the Noxus army.
These powerful warriors were also scattered around the army, and immediately returned as leaders after the battle broke out.
Like a sharp dagger, the Arcane Warrior charged into the Ionia ranks, quickly wreaking havoc on all sides.
Without the restraint of powerful warriors worthy of being called heroes, these Arcane Warrior are nothing short of a natural disaster for ordinary people.
Aside from those reclusive powerhouses in monasteries, most warriors who are still considered human cannot be defeated by them in a single move.
Soon, the Ionia assault team was scattered, and people were fleeing everywhere.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the Sword Saint could only impatiently shout for a retreat, while he himself did his best to stay behind and cover the retreat.
"Want to be a hero? Then I'll grant your wish!" Darius smiled cruelly, adding even more force to his giant axe.
If Master Yi were facing the Noxus mortal army of the past, a fully-fledged Master Yi could fight an entire army single-handedly, but now that would be difficult.
In the clash of swords and axes, he was quickly overwhelmed, and even escape became a distant dream.
Darius was also a highly experienced warrior, and after his stats were improved, he was no different from the cultivators of these reclusive sects.
Both sides are mortals, and mortals are ultimately destined to be defeated.
'Ping'
Darius's longsword was knocked away by the giant axe, and in the next instant, Darius's Riot Games struck Master Yi in the chest.
He was thrown into the air, and even his Highlander was affected.
Before he could even get up, a giant axe came crashing down on him. The renowned Grandmaster Yi of Ionia would never see the dawn again.
After wiping the blood off the axe, Darius casually tossed Yi's head to a nearby guard.
"Post this out; it will demoralize the enemy. Inform everyone to rest for three hours and then continue the attack."
"Yes!"
Irelia huddled listlessly in a room, all alone except for the Blades of the Placidium, which sat quietly to one side.
We lost! We lost again! We've been losing for two whole days!!
For two days, they were suppressed by the Noxus army, and their front line was pushed back by more than ten kilometers.
Towns and villages were destroyed, familiar faces were killed, and even Master Yi...
Yi's death dealt a heavy blow to the Ionia Defense Army, but the greater threat was not that.
So far, the Noxus army has shown an unprecedented fighting spirit, constantly pushing the front line forward without any regard for strategic depth or supply issues.
This puzzled Irelia and the other leaders. They suspected that the other party must have some ulterior motive, but they had no way of finding out.
The Noxus army was stronger than ever before; the warriors, their bodies gleaming with magical runes, were so powerful that they were impossible to break through their defenses.
The series of defeats, coupled with the unease in his heart, left this spiritual leader of the Ionia feeling frustrated.
"Knock knock~"
"Lady Irelia, we have important information!"
The voice of the guards came from outside the room. Frustrated, Irelia composed herself and nimbly walked out of the room.
"What intelligence?"
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw his guards leading a disheveled Ionia Kuna warrior towards him.
"Lady Irelia! They, they are corrupting the First Lands! I saw it with my own eyes! We must stop them!"
The Kuna warriors cried out excitedly. They were a unique race in Ionia, possessing Native Magic that reduced their own presence, and were Ionia's most outstanding scouts.
"Contamination? What exactly is going on? Is it related to the recent decline in the power of Native Magic?"
Irelia recalled the recent conflict; cultivators on the front lines were frequently suppressed when casting Native Magic, thus reducing the army's combat effectiveness.
"Yes, our squad infiltrated the Noxus territory. They've planted some strange pillars in the First Lands and heavily guarded it."
"As we approached, the Native Magic began to fail, and I was the only one who escaped."
The Kuna warriors tearfully recounted everything they had witnessed, describing how the Noxus army had planted Ley Line Anchor Point.
However, they mistakenly believed that the Ley Line Anchor Point that extracted Native Magic power were contaminated, though in reality they were not far off.
With the increasing number of Ley Line Anchor Point, Ionia's Native Magic was suppressed, making it difficult for many practitioners to unleash Native Magic.
This was also one of the important reasons for the defeat of the Ionia Defense Army; the enemy was stronger than ever before, while they, lacking Native Magic, became weaker.
Only when one side gains and the other loses will the battle line be unable to hold.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your efforts in protecting the First Lands. Please go and rest."
Irelia offered the warrior a few words of comfort, then waved for him to go and rest.
After the warriors left, the guards looked at Irelia, whose face was pale, and asked her with some concern:
"Lady Irelia, this news..."
"Keep the blockade in place for now, otherwise it will affect morale. Send these messages to all the monasteries and sects, telling them that this will be a crisis for the entire Ionia."
"Let them send people. Everyone must give it their all and unite, otherwise," Irelia's voice was low, "Perhaps Ionia will cease to exist."