War is always cruel. Desmond Mansfield seemed long used to it—one thunderous strike, and hundreds of lives were snuffed out.
Blood splattered in all directions, shocking both friend and foe.
Desmond Mansfield had always been described as the refined gentleman type. In the mortal world, he’d be that frail scholar who couldn’t even lift a chicken, good for talking but impossible to imagine wielding a sword to kill.
While Desmond’s cultivation had reached a certain level, no one expected that once he made a move, he’d be so ruthless and bloody—every strike radiated killing intent, leaving no room for mercy.
He didn’t just pick any random moment to act. By now, the battlefield was utter chaos—ever since the enemy’s Holy Emperor plunged deep and got surrounded, the rear legions had almost merged with the forces of Dragon‑Chen Hall. In the crowd, it was impossible to tell friend from foe, but as long as you saw a different color of armor, no matter how exhausted or numb your arm was, if you could still lift your sword, you’d fight on with bloodshot eyes!
Even if it meant opening your mouth and biting, nobody hesitated!
Desmond picked this exact moment to strike—right where his own side was being pushed down. He saw several hundred late-stage Saint Lord soldiers beset by a hundred enemy Saint Lords, seconds away from being slaughtered. That’s when he made his move.
Only now did he truly unleash the full power of the Astro‑Divination Canon. Even if his cultivation wasn’t enough to reach the second layer, the sheer force of it startled even Desmond himself.
Stellar Power gleamed—what looked like indiscriminate, terrifying bombardment, yet when it drew close, it somehow curved around his own troops, blasting the enemy to pieces, scattering flesh and blood, erasing souls in an instant.
"Vice Hall Master is terrifyingly strong!"
"This power is on par with a Holy Emperor!"
"He’s still fighting…"
"Charge in! Protect the Vice Hall Master!"
With Evan Chu away, the burden of personal command fell to Desmond Mansfield. At this moment, Desmond’s true strength was finally recognized by everyone.
These simple-minded guys couldn’t understand how much impact a single person’s command could have on a war. All they cared about was how many enemies you killed right in front of them.
So, even if Desmond hated it, he had to act. Besides, there’s no way he was going to let Lena Lin outshine him—kill a few more, and he’d have something to brag about back home!
Plus, ever since Lena Lin broke through with Evan Chu’s help, her cultivation soared like crazy—Desmond couldn’t catch up even if he tried. And with Desmond’s pride, you think he’d just take that from his wife? No way!
And Lena Lin’s not like Lydia Hong, either. Lydia’s fierce and ruthless on the outside, but turns gentle and sweet around Lance Li. Lena Lin? That tigress will throw hands with Desmond at the drop of a hat! Every time Evan Chu notices something off about Desmond, he’s got nothing but silent suffering.
What can you say? Baby’s got feelings, but baby’s not about to say it!
So right now, Desmond was letting out all his pent-up frustration. With nothing but enemies in front of him, he went all out on the slaughter!
Starlight blazed—under Desmond Mansfield’s folding fan, a massive chessboard took shape, each chess piece carrying a terrifying wind that ripped open space. Then, one by one, detonated Starstones rained down with explosive force.
This move wasn’t as insane as Evan Chu’s Stellar Blazeburst Battle‑Array, but even against thousands of Saint Lords or early Saint Venerables, it could cause massive casualties—hit the right spot, and you could kill in a single strike!
Such wide‑area attacks were way more terrifying than most high‑level starship warships, but the Starstone cost was brutal. Every time Desmond unleashed this, it hurt his heart for ages.
On the battlefield, everyone had their methods, but the closer it got to the end, the more savage things became. From the very first clash, neither side ever stopped—the fighting went on for three whole months!
After three months, both armies had lost thirty percent of their numbers, but the chaotic melee still raged on. The only difference was that now, everyone was utterly exhausted.
Nobody got any rest, nobody got any supplies. Once the killing frenzy took over, reasons and logic didn’t matter. As long as an enemy was still standing, I couldn’t fall!
Off in the distance, Desmond Mansfield took a deep breath. It was like he could see the floating remnants of souls and lingering resentment in the air.
"There aren’t that many excuses. You either win or lose, rule the world, cover the sky with one hand, walk alone across the universe, dominate the peak—none of it comes easy. Everyone’s path to the top is paved with piles of corpses."
"This war… it’s probably going to drag on for ages, huh?" Elder Warren Wu was the only one not caught up in the bloodbath.
"This is just the beginning. The real outcome depends on Violet Thunder’s side."
Desmond Mansfield caught his breath, regained some strength, and plunged right back into the slaughter!
On the surface, both sides looked evenly matched, but Desmond knew this 'kill a thousand, lose eight hundred' approach basically spelled defeat for Dragon‑Chen Hall.
He had no idea when Holden Hong might suddenly show up—there was no way to predict it. And who knew if things at the Frostbane Dynasty base star‑region would go smoothly? Plus, with Evan Chu himself still not appearing, Dragon‑Chen Hall was at a disadvantage.
Or what if, after enough casualties on their side, the enemy was left with nothing but elite powerhouses, ready to counterattack together—what capital would he have left to resist?
So Desmond was deeply worried. But after doing everything he could, there was nothing more he could do.
Either wait for news from Violet Thunder’s side, or hope Evan Chu creates another miracle. If only Star‑Treasure Pavilion really could block Holden Hong like they promised.
"Black Haze, how’s the prep going?"
"Still no good! The last group we sent in hasn’t come back—something must’ve gone wrong inside!"
"Looks like we can’t wait any longer. The Vice Hall Master might not be able to hold out much longer."
"So what do we do—charge head‑on? But the enemy’s got three full legions stationed here, numbers at least equal to ours, and they’re stronger too. Plus, with the Sky‑Rift Stronghold to defend them, all we can do is throw our bodies at the walls!"
Black Haze looked absolutely miserable, his face dark as ink—they were really in a tight spot.
But Violet Thunder didn’t have any good ideas either. Just then, a familiar long roar and a piercing cry split the sky, echoing in Violet Thunder’s ears.
ROAR—
SCREE!
Violet Thunder turned to look—one was a massive roc blazing with star-powered might, the other a lion radiant with starlight, every hair shining.
If he hadn’t known them for ages, Violet Thunder would never have guessed they were Old Goldwing and Shadow!