Delisha suddenly accelerated when the two were less than a mile apart, flying directly towards the bandit leader on the other side.
The bandit leader on the other side wasn't overconfident; someone who could cultivate to the level of Highgod in the Netherworld certainly wouldn't have any major flaws in his personality.
The bandit leader was a burly man, his bulging muscles barely concealed by his silver chainmail. He wielded a hammer in one hand and a round shield in the other, surrounded by swirling red flames, suggesting he was Highgod who Lianhuo attributes.
Although Delisha is petite, her fighting style is quite brave. She wields a black greatsword that is taller than her, and slashes straight down with it.
This time, Delisha used the Edicts of Destruction. The powerful attack distorted the space around the blade. Although it didn't break through space, it came close— Delisha already possessed the strength of Six-Star Fiend in the Edicts of Destruction!
The bandit leader knew from the trajectory of the black broadsword that the attack was powerful, and immediately revealed his true form.
It was a crimson ape with thick, long arms, short legs, and a mane that resembled tiny flames.
The monkey used its round shield to protect its body, sidestepping the blow.
The powerful impact sent the red ape flying dozens of meters backward, while Delisha only paused slightly to gather her strength again.
"Five-Star Fiend, thankfully. This makes the battle here a bit easier," Jason commented, observing the fight above.
Five-Star Fiend are already quite powerful. In this remote area, they are top-tier experts. Six-Star Fiend Five-Star Fiend already settled in areas closer to cities, or even closer to the capital.
It was only because the middle-level strength of the Rhine Clan was weak that Delisha, as Six-Star Fiend, was temporarily forced to live here with her clan.
Knowing that the battle above was a one-sided affair, Jason ignored it and focused his attention on the bandits in front of him.
The opposing bandits were surprisingly united; even when their leader was at a disadvantage, they still split into two groups and rushed towards Jason and his men from both sides.
After all, they were only Midgod, and due to the gravity of the Netherworld, their battle zone was much lower than that of Delisha and the others.
Judging from their numbers and imposing presence, the opponent's strength surpasses that of the thirty-one Midgod of the Rhine Clan.
"Don't be scared. They're using this formation to escape at any time. We'll hold off one side and strike the other. Once one side suffers a crushing defeat, the other will collapse on its own!" The Rhine Clan had many members who had commanded wars on the Yulan Continent in the past, and they quickly figured out the bandits' intentions.
The Rhine Clan's judgment was half right, because a third of the core members of this band of bandits were of the same clan as the bandit leader. They all revealed their true forms and showed no intention of holding back, directly crashing into the Rhine Clan's defensive formation.
Seeing that their side had gained the upper hand from the start and that their leader's side was unable to determine a winner for the time being, the bandits behind them stopped observing from the sidelines and instead held back some of their strength during the battle.
The Rhine Clan's cohesion was also strong; twenty-three of the thirty-one Midgod were Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend, and they revealed their true forms as Bladewing Fiend, each wielding a large sword and slashing at a group of apes.
Jason glanced around and, just as he had predicted before the battle, the bandits, apart from the ones who were actually "red apes," were holding back some of their strength. For a time, the Rhine Clan actually managed to block the enemy's pincer attack.
Jason's lightning clone unleashed its full speed, charging directly at a red ape. The ape, wielding a short staff in each hand, barely managed to parry Jason's longsword.
Jason thought to himself, "No wonder they're an elite bandit gang. Even one of their bandits has the strength of One-Star Fiend. A normal Midgod with that kind of strength wouldn't bother being a bandit."
Jason's two clones can both reach the level of Fiend, and the overall strength can reach the level of Three-Star Fiend.
After all, among Fiend, apart from those Midgod Highgod are just one step away from becoming high-level gods, the difference in strength between one and three stars is not significant.
Switching to a longsword in one hand and a thin blade in the other, Jason alternated between using Death and Lightning Element attacks.
He alternated between soul attacks and physical attacks, but the opposing race was clearly all Fire Element, making their defenses worrisome. His initial disadvantage meant that without his teammates' help, he would undoubtedly lose the next few attacks.
Just as Jason was about to deliver the final blow, he noticed that Ailin beside him seemed to be in mortal danger.
Ailin, Jason's friend since his youth, had also broken through to the Midgod a few years ago, but she was clearly lacking in foundation and had already lost an arm in battle.
Helpless Jason abandoned his opponent and rammed into a Midgod in front of Ailin.
The other party was not of the same clan as the bandit leader; he simply wanted to take advantage of Ailin's weakness. Seeing Jason's aggressive demeanor, he swung his long whip imbued with water-attribute Divine Power, blocking Jason's hasty attack and using the rebound force to retreat.
However, Jason's original enemy seemed not to recognize the gap between himself and Jason, and swung his short stick in a wide arc, trying to launch a back attack on Jason.
Jason's Death Clone suddenly flew out and used Highgod Artifact to take the blow head-on. Instantly, Jason's Death Clone's left arm and side chest were broken. However, in the exchange of blows, the Death Clone's soul attack also temporarily distracted the opponent.
Although the Lightning Clone's advantage lies in its speed, its combat power is relatively weak. However, against a mid-level Fire Element Midgod whose defense is also very low, the Lightning Clone's attacks are sufficient.
With a single slash, he severed the opponent's left hand holding the short stick, then used his speed to dodge the opponent's other hand, unleashing a counterattack with the short stick from the ninja's soul wound; his Lightning Clone circled behind the opponent and swept across the opponent's unprotected neck, instantly separating the Midgod's head from his body, his skull shattered by Jason's Lightning Clone.
The Death Clone physical injuries still needed some time to heal, returned to her sea of consciousness. Ailin nodded her thanks and retreated behind her teammates to repair her body.
Suddenly, a scream belonging to an ape erupted from the sky, and the enemy leader was decapitated.
The bandits' expressions changed drastically, and even the fighting spirit of the "Red Apes," who belonged to the same race, dropped significantly.
Meanwhile, the Rhine Clan's morale soared.
Those members of the bandits who were originally at odds with their leader had begun to turn and flee, and some even shouted to surrender; those bandits who revealed their ape forms were still wavering, among them were some brave and reckless individuals who wanted to make a last-ditch effort.
Landon's voice echoed in Jason's mind, "Ignore the fleeing bandits for now. Those of us with Highgod Artifact should focus on the bandits who are determined to fight to the death."
Landon communicated with Jason and several other elders and council members through telepathy.
As the core members of the family, they were all bestowed with Highgod Artifact by Delisha, which was one of the reasons why the Rhine Clan was able to hold off the bandits who were both more numerous and stronger in the beginning.
Jason's divine sense couldn't cover such a wide area, so he could only scan the area with his eyes and find two Midgod bandits fighting back to back.
He charged straight ahead, and taking advantage of a moment when a Rhein tribesman was forced back, he thrust his sword through the gap.
The bandits, who were originally able to defend and counterattack against four Rhein tribesmen, had one of them instantly stabbed in the armpit by Jason's thunderous strike, thus hindering his movement.
The four Rhein Clan members beside him, who were initially afraid of a last-ditch counterattack, immediately dispatched three to hold off another bandit upon seeing Jason's support, while the fourth Rhein Clan member used Earth Element Gravity Space to slow down the bandit's movement speed—many of the human members of the Rhine Clan were Deity-level cultivators who practiced other Profound Mysteries.
Jason unleashed a series of slashes, and the opponent, exhausted, charged forward, attempting to trade his life for the opponent's. However, Jason dodged with his speed, and several sword beams carrying soul-piercing attacks struck the opponent.
Ultimately, the Midgod -thief's soul vanished and he died.
Meanwhile, another Midgod was surrounded and attacked by four Rhein people, and died after only a few moves.
Jason surveyed the battlefield once more, by which time the Rhine Clan had gained a decisive advantage.
Most of the bandits turned and fled, pursued by members of the Rhine Clan; eight bandits still put up a stubborn resistance, with Landon and a few others holding the line, but they were quickly surrounded by the Rhein people, and it was estimated that they would not even have a chance to trade their lives for theirs.
Delisha killed several of the fastest-running bandits, and some bandits with the talent of burrowing began to escape underground. Even the Highgod had difficulty digging them out one by one.
Jason killed another "tough nut to crack," but didn't take the opponent's Interspatial Ring. Jason was already somewhat disdainful of the wealth of a Midgod.
With the bandits no longer putting up any resistance, the pursuing Rhein people began to return one after another.
Delisha led the Rhein people to the ground and began to take stock of the casualties.
"Six died, and thirteen bandits were killed."
"The casualties are quite high," Jason sighed inwardly. "However, it's a good thing to let them understand the environment of the Netherworld. They were clamoring to participate in the Fiend assessment after arriving in Falling Rain City; this will let them know their own strength."
Aside from those who Refine Divine Spark, the other Midgod of the Rhine Clan still possess great potential, and it would be a real shame for them to die here. However, this is the Netherworld, Netherworld doesn't give everyone enough time to prepare.
Perhaps this is why Delisha chose this moment to lead her people in a strong attack on these bandits.
Jason and Landon, who had earned the title of Fiend, did not object before taking action, partly because of this consideration.
Delisha nodded. "I killed six Midgod bandits, and not many escaped, so it's a great victory."
Without offering any condolences for her deceased clansmen, Delisha seemed to have reverted to her former self as the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend.
Many of the human members of the Rhine Clan around bowed their heads, but some remained defiant—especially the pure-blooded Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend.
"Alright," Delisha, seeing that everyone's injuries had healed. "Let's loot this bandit hideout and head back."
"Yes!!!" The dejected atmosphere among the Rhein members vanished instantly.
Seeing this, Jason couldn't help but sigh, "They're just a bunch of Demon after all. Perhaps this kind of battle is more suited to them."