The number of Qi Condensation demons was staggering. In almost every sub-battlefield, the ratio was at least one to ten. Some were one to dozens, and even one to a hundred was not unheard of. Among these demons, nearly all possessed strong physical bodies; some were incredibly resilient, some had high attack power, and many were exceptionally fast. Many possessed all three traits.
The stronger demons were almost immune to ordinary Qi Condensation methods! Even more ridiculous was the fact that nearly all of them had a baseline recovery rate that allowed them to heal from common injuries almost instantly. In terms of basic combat power, even powerful human geniuses didn't have much of an advantage. Not to mention the demons felt no pain and were fearless!
With stronger individuals and ten times the numbers, what human Qi Condensation force could block such a demon horde? From a normal perspective, the Star-Sea Continent was doomed. Yet, the result was not so. This army of Star-Sea Mercenaries—weaklings individually—held the line!
Brilliant talismans erupted in every corner of the battlefield! Fire Crow Talismans, Golden Light Blade Talismans, Shadow Wind Sting Talismans, Sonic Blast Talismans... Spirit Turtle Shell Talismans, Shifting Talismans... God-Speed Talismans, Heart-Clearing Talismans... Chain Fire-Thunder Talismans, Earth Spike Talismans...
When these talismans, representing the highest achievement of the continent's talismanic dao, erupted, they bloomed like the most brilliant crimson flowers in the battlefield! Accompanying those flowers were charred, broken, and mangled corpses.
"Come on! You demon whelps!"
In one part of the battlefield, an old man at the sixth level of Qi Condensation roared wildly, his face filled with arrogance and delight! Beside him lay hundreds of demon corpses. Almost none were intact; their originally tenacious bodies had been drained of all life.
Faced with such frantic slaughter, the demons—notorious for their low intelligence and fearlessness—actually became afraid! They hesitated, looking at each other. As the first demon began to flee, others followed one after another. They had actually been frightened into retreat!
Who could have imagined that the race known for never fearing death would be scared witless? Before this started, anyone saying such a thing would have been mocked: "Lower demons feeling fear? You must have taken the wrong medicine!"
But now it was truly happening. From their perspective, they had encountered a race that was even more ferocious and fearless! They were weak individually, but they could launch all sorts of terrifying attacks that even the strongest Qi Condensation demons couldn't withstand many times. Their defense was terrifying; as soon as one got close, all sorts of shields would appear, making it impossible to hit the people inside! Even if one managed to hit them, they had another layer of terrifying armor—hard, able to block physical and attribute attacks, even spiritual and illusory ones. It took the corpses of countless demons to finally break it!
Furthermore, they were fearless! Upon seeing the demons, they rushed forward like a cat after a mouse. The demons even began to wonder who the real invaders were!
Such a terrifying race had branded a seed called "fear" within the demons. If they survived, they would pass this fear down to their descendants.
"Come on! Come on!"
"Don't run, you whelps!" the sixth-level old man roared arrogantly.
This was the most exhilarating day of his life! Those were the demons famous throughout the heavens, yet he had chased them away like rats! And now, he stood upon hundreds of corpses of demons stronger than himself, the final victor of this field. Having lived a suppressed and wretched life, he finally experienced what it meant to be exhilarated. For him, there was only one word:
Satisfying! Truly satisfying!
Such an experience made his life entirely worthwhile. Not to mention the Academy's promise of generous rewards.
However, after the demons fled, the old man did not pursue. He was... almost at his limit. His armor had countless dents, and he had few defensive talismans left. If those demons hadn't retreated, he wouldn't have lasted much longer. His internal organs had long since shifted and been heavily damaged; he was only hanging on to his last breath through pills.
Around him lay the mangled bodies of fellow humans—his friends and fellow villagers, all of whom had gone before him. The demons' strength was terrifying! Despite such strong armor and so many powerful talismans, they had been overwhelmed by the relentless wave of demons and torn to pieces...
Of the nearly twenty people, he was the only one left. After the demons left, the old man walked to the others and took the healing medicine they carried. His life certainly couldn't be saved, but he needed to hang on for one last breath. He had to deal with the world node in this battlefield. Before destroying it, he could not die.
At the same time, the old man took the talismans from the bodies. He didn't have many left, and they might not be enough to support him until he destroyed the node. Too many demons had appeared here... they brought so many talismans, but it still wasn't enough!
After taking the medicine and talismans, the old man left nothing behind. He was destined not to leave this place alive; he would rest here with them forever. Now, the only thing keeping him alive was the fact that the demon node hadn't been destroyed yet!
"Nannan, your grandfather hasn't had much ability in this life. This is all I can do. This merit and these resources are the last things I can leave for you. Don't blame me for not being able to accompany you anymore."
"Don't feel sorry for me. This is my happiest and most valuable day!"
"Your wretched grandfather killed so many demons, can you imagine? I'm standing on hundreds of them right now. They were all scared of me, running faster than rabbits!"
"And do you know how much merit and spirit stones I've earned this time? It's more than I could have accumulated in a lifetime! It's worth it! It's all worth it!"
"Your father is gone, and now your grandfather is gone too. Listen to your mother in the future. Don't blame her for scolding you; she's the person in the world who cares for you most."
"I believe that with the Star Emperor here, your life will only get better and better!"
"That kid from the Li family isn't bad. Although he's naughty, he has his father's responsibility and blood. If you can become cultivation partners with him later, it wouldn't be bad. He'll be getting a bargain..."
"Grandfather is leaving. I have one last thing to do. I have to complete the task given to me by the Star Emperor. I'm going to be a hero of the Star-Sea Continent. My name will be engraved on our Star-Sea Myriad Race Merit Ranking."
On that specially made spatial communication talisman, the old man left his final message before moving forward with his last talismans. Preceding that message were rows of data about the demons...
After putting away the talisman, the old man cast aside all thoughts. Now, the only thing keeping him alive was the fact that the demon node wasn't destroyed. Otherwise, he would have breathed his last long ago.
Shortly after he left, a fast figure appeared on the battlefield and swept all the demon corpses into a storage bag. They were another team sent by the Academy. Their only task was to bring back the demon corpses to serve as nourishment for the Star-Sea world, and to bring back the bodies and belongings of the continent's heroes. This was another important guarantee for victory in the subsequent battles.
Scenes like this unfolded continuously across the Qi Condensation battlefields. Beneath identical sets of armor were the fearless mercenaries. Some were the elders of families—grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers—or people who had been unremarkable for the first half of their lives. In this battle, they achieved merit they could never have reached in their lives, and earned resources they could never have made. For them, ending their lives this way was worth it.
Of course, there were also many youths with modest talent but firm determination, who yearned to advance on the path of immortality. They faced death with a fearless attitude, striving for merit and Providential Rewards, even at the cost of their lives!
Reality was cruel; the demons were too powerful. Most were destined to die here, whether old or young. One after another, they became cold corpses under the demon onslaught, where even keeping a whole body was a luxury.
However, despite the high mortality rate, some people won and survived! They received the recognition of the world's will and were granted unimaginable Power of Providential Creation. Their bodies revived amidst decay, and their talents underwent a frantic transformation! Under the power of creation, they obtained the talents they had most yearned for. Some elderly people even saw their aging bodies regain vitality and life!
Undoubtedly, they had used their wisdom, awakening, and strength to secure the greatest rewards. And such a group of people, who would have no shortcomings in will, determination, or talent, would eventually produce some experts capable of stunning the world in a Nine Domains that offered absolute room for growth.
As time passed, one demon world node after another was destroyed! Across the Qi Condensation battlefields, the mercenaries used their fearlessness to achieve twice the results of the demons. They destroyed twice as many nodes as the demons did!
But the price was immense. The mercenaries fell like mown grass—ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent... at a heart-stopping rate. Every ten percent represented hundreds of millions of lives and the families behind them. The Star-Sea Continent had shown a chance for victory, but the cost was too great.
In the Qi Condensation battlefields, the Star-Sea Continent fought the most soul-stirring and poignantly beautiful battle in all of demon-kind history. This bizarre, weak mercenary force had fearlessly defeated demons a hundred times stronger than themselves. The will and fearlessness they displayed were unprecedented.
What allowed them to do all this was their trust in the Academy and the Star Emperor, Qi Ping. They believed that after they died, their families—wives, children, parents—would live better. They knew their rewards wouldn't be stolen, and their families wouldn't be treated like cattle or enslaved by "superiors." If it weren't for that, how could they fight so hard? If it weren't for that, they would have turned their weapons to kill the people shitting on their heads, even if they had Soul-Slavery seals planted in them.
Furthermore, the incredible combat power of these mercenaries was thanks to the establishment of the Refining and Talisman Pavilions! All the talisman masters and refiners of the continent were gathered together, and talismanic and refining knowledge was passed down at the smallest cost. A specialized system ignited their creativity and enthusiasm for drawing talismans, breaking the social ecology where geniuses without backgrounds were suppressed. This laid the other foundation for victory.
The number of Qi Condensation talismans produced in a single year exceeded the previous ten years by tenfold, and their quality, lethality, and specialization against demons were also far superior. It was these talismans that defeated the demons and even killed them until they felt fear.
In the Qi Condensation battlefields of the World-Domain Battlefield, the Star-Sea world had created an unprecedented myth!
At the war command center in the rear of the continent, after the information from the Qi Condensation battlefields was compiled, a trace of joy finally appeared. This was a rare dawn of victory. At least they saw that no matter how many demons there were, the Star-Sea world had a hope of winning. Although many had died, as long as they could see hope for the world's survival and the continuation of their heritage, everything was worth it!
As the overall war commander, Lin Yue silently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with spiritual power in a place where others couldn't see. Heaven knew how much weight he carried on his shoulders, or how much pressure he bore in his heart to keep his beloved home existing. Only in front of the Star Emperor could he release a sliver of that pressure.
The advantage in the Qi Condensation battlefields confirmed that his efforts during this time were effective—it was the best news to relieve his pressure.
However, while the Qi Condensation level achieved victory, some other battlefields were not so optimistic...