Chapter 154: Escape (Part 1)


    Queen Vivian''s voice echoed across the entire city of Fila.


    People raised their heads one after another, looking up at the sky.


    "Shoot her down!!"


    Among the demon army, someone spotted the colossal winged beast flying slowly in the sky like a floating fortress and let out a shrill cry.


    Spells, battle aura, and weapons soared into the sky, all aimed at the massive flying beast.


    With a furious roar, the winged beast opened its maw and spewed a torrent of flames toward the ground, instantly reducing the attacking demon soldiers to ashes.


    In the distance, a vast, dark swarm of demon soldiers approached menacingly.


    "Be careful! That’s a fifth-tier flying magical beast! We can’t let it slaughter our soldiers unchecked. Everyone, attack with full force and bring it down! The queen of Monte Empire is on it!"


    The flying demon soldiers roared as they charged toward Queen Vivian.


    The winged beast, wreathed in flames, unleashed waves of scorching fire with each breath, incinerating swathes of flying demons.


    But the beast’s massive size made it far less agile in the air compared to the nimble flying demons.


    The demon soldiers quickly realized this and cunningly dispersed, forming a circular encirclement around the beast and Queen Vivian.


    A few of the flying demons even spat venom directly at Vivian. The toxic liquid sizzled as it neared the beast, evaporating completely before it could reach her.


    Meanwhile, the demons behind the beast fearlessly rushed forward one after another, biting into its body despite the flames, only to be burned to ashes moments later. Yet, more kept coming without hesitation.


    The sky was filled with a dark tide of flying demons, with the enormous flaming beast at the center—a scene of utter devastation.


    Queen Vivian directed the winged beast to fly slowly toward the arena of the Tri-Nation Tournament.


    Han Ming and Shang Que’s group banded together, resisting the demon soldiers’ slaughter.


    But Shang Que, having nearly exhausted his magic power in his earlier battle with Han Ming, could only barely replenish his energy by absorbing small fire-element crystals.


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    Meanwhile, the two War Kings—Adera, the Lord of the Wild Storm, and Guger, the Lord of the Wild Ancient Forest—targeted only the strongest fighters, leaving the weaker civilians to be torn apart by the demon soldiers.


    Before long, the two War Kings closed in on Han Ming’s small group.


    "Brother Han! Those two War Kings are coming. We don’t stand a chance against them. With just one, we might barely hold our ground if we combine our strength, but two…"


    Kuick spoke with deep concern.


    Han Ming frowned tightly, but no solution came to mind.


    In the distance, Kulo, who had been pursuing the green-robed elder, sensed two powerful auras behind her. She turned and saw Adera and Guger advancing toward Han Ming’s group.


    Her heart sank, and she immediately turned to rush toward Han Ming.


    The green-robed elder, lightly wounded by Kulo, gritted his teeth and chased after her despite his injuries.


    "You shameless old fools! The Lord of the Wild Storm and the Lord of the Wild Ancient Forest—traitors who sided with the demon realm and turned against your own kind! How impressive!"


    Kulo let out a sharp cry and attacked Guger, who was closest, transforming into a streak of translucent light aimed at his back.


    Guger sensed the surge of energy and turned just in time to see Kulo approaching.


    "Adera, handle these brats! I’ll deal with this woman!"


    Guger roared and engaged Kulo. At first, he didn’t recognize her, but as they fought, his shock grew—her strength far exceeded his expectations. Within a dozen exchanges, shallow wounds already marked his body.


    "Who are you?!" Guger cried in alarm.


    Disguised as she was, Guger couldn’t recognize Kulo’s true identity. He was stunned—how had he never heard of such a formidable female warrior among humans?


    Kulo didn’t answer, her lips pressed tightly together as she darted across the ground, launching rapid attacks. Facing both the green-robed elder and Guger simultaneously, even her immense strength gradually left her at a disadvantage.


    Without Guger’s help, Adera alone faced Han Ming and several dozen other experts, resulting in a stalemate.


    The slaughter in the Tri-Nation Tournament arena continued. Of the 300,000 humans present, nearly 100,000 had already perished. The vast arena had become a sea of red, littered with broken limbs—a hellish sight.


    Above the arena, a thin barrier shimmered as a dark swarm of demon soldiers approached from the sky.


    Following them was the enormous flaming winged beast.


    "My people, I am your Queen Vivian. I deeply apologize for what you are enduring. To our friends from other nations, I hope you will not resent the Monte Empire. Our kingdom now stands on the brink of destruction. I implore you to unite and break through the demon army’s siege. If you return to your homelands, please convey my message to your kings: resisting the demon invasion cannot wait. If we remain divided, the future of humanity will be dire."


    Vivian stood resolutely atop the winged beast, her voice carrying her unwavering resolve.


    "Vivian…"


    Han Ming looked up at the sky. This woman, who had once risked her life for her brother, who had wept countless times before him, now chose to stand firm for her nation in the face of invasion.


    He couldn’t fathom how her slender shoulders could bear the weight of an entire kingdom.


    His thoughts raced.


    The demon spirit connected to his mind instantly guessed his intentions and urgently warned, "No! You can’t summon the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor’s soul! You’re only a second-tier, fifth-rank Great Mage—you can’t control a sixth-tier beast. If you try, you’ll be in grave danger!"


    Han Ming smiled wryly. "And what about now? Aren’t we already in mortal peril? The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor’s soul is our only chance."


    He had a plan. In his storage pouch lay the massive water-element crystal he had obtained from the Water God’s Temple.


    Originally meant to fuel a high-tier spell, he believed it could also sustain the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor’s soul—at least for a while.