Chased by over ten thousand stealth fighters, less than one in ten of the remaining hundreds of thousands of Sky-Wing troops survived. In the end, out of a million-strong raiding force, fewer than a hundred thousand managed to escape.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the Human army began its assault.
Spirit-Crystal Cannons, Spirit-Crystal Rifles, and Spirit-Crystal Thunder Grenades.
With all three weapons unleashed together, the Demon army was forced into retreat after retreat. In less than two hours, the battle ended with Tiger King’s withdrawal.
After the battle, Tiger King counted his forces: out of 12 million troops, only 8 million remained, and a million of those were wounded.
In other words, after just the opening fight, he had already lost nearly a third of his army.
How was he supposed to keep fighting this war?
Could he even go on?
For a moment, Tiger King’s fear of Ian Song resurfaced.
On the Human side, casualties were almost zero.
The next day, the two sides clashed again.
This time, the Demon side suffered even heavier losses—over five million casualties.
In just two days, out of twelve million troops, more than eight million were dead or wounded. There was no way to keep fighting.
Left with no choice, Tiger King led the remaining troops in a rapid retreat, while sending someone to contact Serena Fox and ask her to go to the Human side to plead for peace with the Human Emperor.
When Ian Song heard that Tiger King had sent Serena Fox to negotiate peace, he felt a hint of regret. If Tiger King could have held out a few more days, Ian would have been able to stay in this world a little longer. Now, it seemed that wasn’t going to happen.
Two days later, Serena Fox arrived in the Holy Capital to request an audience with the emperor.
The Human Emperor granted her request.
For the peace talks, the Human Emperor set three conditions: First, the Tiger Clan must hand over Demon Race leadership to the Fox Clan; second, the Demon Race must submit to the Human Race; and third, the Demon Race must pay annual tribute to the Humans.
When Serena Fox relayed the message back to the Demon side, Tiger King flew into a rage. He called his army together for a final desperate battle against the Humans—and at the same time, his hatred for the Fox Clan grew even deeper.
But right at this critical moment...
A major event shook the Human Race: Emperor Leon Huang announced that in ten days, he would abdicate, with Victor Huang to succeed him as emperor.
The news spread, sending shockwaves throughout the Human Race. Why was the emperor suddenly stepping down?
The ministers, however, weren’t too surprised. After all, for years, the emperor had handed over state affairs to the crown prince, hinting at this transition.
Of course, they weren’t surprised, but they were still a bit shocked.
After announcing his abdication, Ian Song handed full command of the campaign against the Demon Race to Victor Huang.
Thanks to years of guidance, Victor Huang had long since matured. After taking over the war effort, he swiftly summoned the War Ministry to plan the offensive.
Three days later.
Eight million imperial troops advanced in three columns into Demon territory, following a steady, methodical strategy of gradual conquest.
With every city captured, logistics teams rapidly laid railroads and built fortresses. A new policy was announced: any Demon willing to surrender could become a second-class citizen of the empire, and after ten clean years, gain full citizenship.
As soon as this policy was implemented, Demon resistance sharply diminished. Even though Tiger King raised another ten million troops, he still couldn’t stop the Human advance.
Ten days later, Ian Song formally abdicated.
Victor Huang performed the Heaven-worship rituals and ascended the throne, declaring the start of the New Origin Era.
As Victor completed the ritual and received the imperial crown from Ian Song, he felt more than half of the empire’s accumulated qi-luck flow into his body.
Victor’s strength instantly soared to the level of a Martial God.
As for the remaining qi-luck, Victor would have to fully consolidate his control over the empire before it would transfer completely.
Even with half his qi-luck gone, Ian Song’s power was still terrifying. He could no longer annihilate Martial Gods with a single blow, but suppressing them was still no problem.
With the imperial succession complete, Ian Song’s business in this world was almost finished.
Half a year passed in a flash. Over half of Demon territory was conquered, and finally, the two Demon Gods couldn’t sit still. They sent letters, offering to support the Fox Clan as rulers if Humanity would stop its advance.
After consulting Ian Song, Victor Huang accepted the Demon Gods’ terms.
Ten days later, Demon leadership changed hands: the Fox Clan rose, the Tiger Clan fell, and Serena Fox became the new Demon Queen.
On her third day as Demon Queen, Serena Fox formally submitted the surrender and vassalage documents to the Human Empire.
Inside the imperial palace.
No longer emperor, Ian Song sat chatting with his four wives. Suddenly, his expression froze—the cold chime of the system sounded in his ear: the fourth mission was complete, but he had only ten days left.
No matter what, in ten days, the system would forcibly take him from this world.
For a moment, Ian felt both anticipation and melancholy.
Without realizing it, he’d already lived in this world for over thirty years—he had wives, children, and even grandchildren.
"Husband, what's wrong?"
The ever-attentive Harriet Gu was the first to notice Ian’s change in mood.
After some hesitation, Ian decided to tell his four wives about his impending departure.
"Wuuu... Husband, do you not want me anymore?"
As soon as she heard he was leaving, Lynn Ning threw herself into his arms, crying. Decades had passed, but thanks to Immortal-Dao cultivation, she still looked young—just more mature.
"Ling’er, I’m only leaving temporarily. I’ll be able to come back in the future!" Ian said.
After finally calming her down, Ian saw that Harriet Gu and Snow Yue both had teary eyes, while Tessa Heavenreach was the only one who stayed calm.
Ian’s heart softened. "Alright, I promise—I’ll come back to see you all every fifty years!"
"Husband, can you take Ling’er with you?"
Lynn Ning pleaded.
"Uh..." Ian hesitated. "Ling’er, where I’m going is completely different from here—you might not be able to adapt."
"As long as I’m with you, I’ll adapt," Lynn Ning said firmly.
"Sigh."
Ian sighed softly. Lynn Ning was still so attached to him, but he didn’t immediately agree.
The next day, Ian hosted a family banquet in the palace. Victor Huang, Nathan Huang, Winter Huang, Lia Huang, and Stellan Huang all attended with their families.
After the meal, Ian called Victor aside, gave him some final instructions, and told him he would soon be leaving this world.
Victor was stunned, reluctant to part. "Father, once you leave, will you come back?"
"Decades from now, I’ll probably come back once," Ian said, uncertainly.
In a flash, it was time for Ian Song to leave this world.
Harriet Gu, Snow Yue, Tessa Heavenreach, and Victor Huang came to see him off.
Even after abdication, Ian Song’s presence was still a deterrent to the Demon and Monster Races, so only those present knew he was leaving.
"Victor, once I’m gone, the empire is yours!" Ian Song smiled at Victor Huang.
"Don’t worry, Father—I won’t let you down!"
Ian Song nodded, then went to speak with Harriet Gu, Snow Yue, and Tessa Heavenreach.
"Time’s up!"
The cold system prompt sounded. A beam of white light enveloped Ian Song, and he vanished before the four of them.