After donning his disguise cloak, the "True Great Demon King" appeared in Kolo City. Zhang Nu stood on the city wall, his entire body covered by the inconspicuous cloak. Under the hood, darkness shrouded him, making him look mysterious and unremarkable.
It was a scene of utter devastation! The entire Kolo Plain was permeated with the smell of blood. Everywhere there were severed limbs, broken swords, and shattered armor. Ownerless warhorses anxiously paced back and forth, while vultures and crows, drawn by the scent of blood, circled in the sky, emitting eerie cries.
This was war! War was not a fairy tale, nor was it child's play.
Although Zhang Nu had mentally prepared himself, he was still shocked by the brutal aftermath of the battle. He had not expected it to turn out this way. However, as a Demon King aspiring to conquer the world, he knew he had to be prepared for such scenes. In this world, from the emergence and death of races, the rise and fall of civilizations, to the changes of dynasties, even down to gang conflicts and territorial disputes, any change was inevitably accompanied by sacrifices.
At this moment, Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si appeared behind Zhang Nu. "Master! Here is the body of Bachor!"
Zhang Nu turned to see a corpse. It was a man with a burly physique, his hair white as snow, but his muscled body resembled that of a mighty lion. His armor was already shattered, and his black spear was broken. He had dozens of wounds all over his body, and he was severed in half at the waist.
Upon examination, Zhang Nu noticed the remarkable physique, this was indeed the body of a powerful monarch. In a natural environment, such a body could remain intact for decades, even hundreds of years without signs of decay. With special preservation methods, it might even last for thousands or tens of thousands of years, much like the Thirteen Malevolent Kings. From the appearance of this body, it was undoubtedly a corpse. Zhang Nu could not detect any signs of life.
Strange, if that's the case, where could the problem lie? The three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion. They had all paid a considerable price to defeat this powerful Grand Duke. Every one of them had been seriously injured, and while they had been healed, it was no small feat. It could be said that each of them was far from unscathed. Even with their joint efforts and the advantage of the terrain, it was not certain they could have defeated such an immensely powerful human.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Li Si asked, "Master, is there a problem?"
Zhang Nu replied, "Bachor might not be dead."
Hearing this revelation, the three Dragon Kings were struck with disbelief. Zhang San exclaimed, "Not dead? That can't be possible. We examined the corpse thoroughly, it undeniably belonged to a king."
Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, emphasizing, "The body isn't the problem here. It's the soul."
Upon hearing this, Long Yi, skilled in necromancy, immediately attempted to sense Bachor's corpse. His expression changed dramatically. "There isn't a shred of soul essence within this body. This is nearly impossible!"
When a living being dies, the rate of decay for the physical body and the soul differs. Weaker souls might dissipate immediately upon death, while stronger ones could endure for a prolonged period without dispersing. For a monarch-level entity, it was impossible for the soul to dissipate so swiftly. Even if it did, it would leave behind traces, lingering remnants. The Thirteen Malevolent Kings in the ancient tomb were created from fragments of the monarchs' souls. However, within Bachor's body, not even a trace of a soul could be found.
The three Dragon Kings suddenly grasped the situation. Could it be that after sustaining a fatal injury, Bachor feigned and took advantage of a momentary lapse in the three Dragon Kings' vigilance, using a method to escape with his soul?
Zhang Nu clarified, "Bachor was a Level 6 monarch. Souls of monarchs at this level are incredibly resilient, they can endure even outside the body for a significant duration."
Upon hearing this, the three of them displayed expressions of regret. Such a golden opportunity was indeed rare to come by. Who would have thought that Bachor would be so cunning, employing a secret technique to escape with his soul? Didn't this mean their efforts had been in vain? The three kings immediately knelt down, saying, "Please punish us, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Nu waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Beings at this level usually have several life-saving tricks up their sleeves. It's quite normal." He continued, "Even if we didn't manage to kill him this time, we've severely wounded him. He won't be able to recover his strength in the short term, giving us more opportunities for expansion."
In reality, Zhang Nu was not very concerned about whether Bachor lived or died. After all, this guy posed limited threat to him. In a way, allowing Bachor to exist in a half-dead state was more valuable than killing him outright.
The reason was simple. If Bachor was truly dead, how would the emperor of the empire react? Either he would personally march south to suppress the southern territory, or he would bring in the other three Grand Dukes. Either scenario would not be favorable for the development of the Chaos Federation. The death of a Grand Duke would create a massive impact! The entire empire would be in an uproar! Whether considering the severity of the event or the effort required to quell the panic within the empire, the emperor might personally lead an expedition, mobilizing the entire nation to attack the Chaos Forest.
The empire was vast, with a huge population and extensive territories. At this stage, the Chaos Federation needed to proceed with caution. Zhang Nu did not want to engage in direct warfare with the entire empire yet. Bachor being alive, even in his weakened state, would create significantly less adverse effects. The empire would have more factors to consider.
The Bachor family had been stationed in the southern territory for over a thousand years. Grand Duke Bahor definitely would not want his influence to be completely taken over by the other three Grand Dukes or even the emperor. This situation was, in fact, advantageous for the Chaos Federation.
However, Zhang Nu was very curious. If only Bachor's soul had escaped, how did he plan to resurrect himself? Humans could not possess something as powerful as a "Resurrection Altar." While methods of resurrection existed in this world, there was no perfect resurrection in the true sense. Any resurrection method would come at a tremendous cost and leave behind significant consequences.
Zhang Nu could foresee that due to Bachor's reckless actions this time, he would not be able to regain his strength for a very long time. This provided an opportunity for the Chaos Federation, a chance to annex more imperial territories. For the Demon King, conquering imperial provinces one by one, capturing imperial cities, would undeniably significantly increase his influence and power. Because of this, instead of killing Bachor, letting him escape half-dead back to the empire was actually more beneficial for the Chaos Federation.
Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied with the performance of the three Dragon Kings, as well as leaders like Jin Kui, Bai Jin, and Marilyn, along with other high-ranking generals in this battle. He decided to credit all of them with a significant achievement, planning to allocate more resources for their future cultivation.
Certainly, there were considerable losses in this battle. The Demon king's army of two hundred thousand suffered casualties exceeding a quarter of its strength, a number that could have been much higher if not for the sudden appearance of the magitek citadel. However, these losses were primarily concentrated among the summoned units.
Among the forces deployed by Zhang Nu, apart from the giants who had no summoned units, there were mostly elite troops from various races, especially the ones led by Marilyn, the elven army. This unit, comprised entirely of Miracle Tree elves summoned by the Ancient Tree of Wonders, suffered a one-third loss. Zhang Nu had not even deployed the elves from the Giantree City in this battle.
Despite these significant losses, the situation was manageable. Money could cover the losses. In the future, with the Resurrection Altar, everyone, from the three Dragon Kings of Darkness City to the common soldiers, could be resurrected. Moreover, resurrecting fallen soldiers might even be more cost-effective than recruiting new ones. At that time, Zhang Nu would not have any concerns. He would not need to worry about the population issues of the Chaos Forest anymore.
After inspecting the battlefield and motivating his subordinates, Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City. This battle yielded a significant number of Hero's souls, and combined with the souls he had been selling using the Soul Altar, Zhang Nu now possessed a considerable amount. Even after reserving ten Level 5 souls for the Resurrection Altar and enough souls for his subordinates like Chen Guoguo, Zhang Nu had surplus souls in his possession. Without hesitation, he chose to activate his Level 5 talent.
Among the Level 5 talents, he activated the power of Spatio-Temporal Dragon. Currently, he still had two talents left, "Abyssal Divine Realm" and "Immortal Dragon God." The latter could enhance divinity and grant near-immortality, but Zhang Nu did not find it necessary. The Resurrection Altar would be constructed soon. With the Resurrection Altar, what difference would there be between immortality and an undying body?
[You've activated the Level 5 talent "Abyssal Divine Realm"!]
Zhang Nu made his decision. It seemed to be another domain skill, but it was not an advanced version of a regular domain. It was a completely new domain skill different from a monarch's domain or a mythic sanctum. The domains created by monarchs would be temporary spaces that disappeared when the monarch's MP was exhausted or when the skill was deactivated. The most significant feature of a divine realm was that the space it created remained constant. The space was sealed from both sides, people from the outside could not enter, and those inside could not exit. Even if the domain skill was stopped, the space would continue to exist and operate silently.
In other words, once Zhang Nu activated the divine realm, he could trap his enemies inside and leave himself. The opponents might be forever sealed inside, unable to escape unless their power was strong enough to break the spatial shackles. In a sense, Zhang Nu had created a small world. This ability did not conflict with regular domain skills; it was applicable in different situations, representing a completely new and powerful capability.
Very well! Level 6 was not far off!
The higher the level, the harder it would be to advance. In fact, if Zhang Nu had not recruited so many subordinates or built structures like the Resurrection Altar, he might already have reached Level 6 by now. However, this fastest upgrade path was not his choice. Given the current situation and Zhang Nu's current strength, he was more than capable. Stronger power would not immediately bring him more benefits. In comparison, building up the team and further improving his territory had higher value for the Demon King.
While Zhang Nu was sacrificing souls to activate his new talent...
......
Bachor City. The forbidden grounds of the Bachor family. A mysterious ceremonial site. Accompanied by a strong burst of light and energy fluctuations, Grand Duke Bachor regained his physical form and walked out of a pool. However, compared to his former strong and robust self, he now appeared shriveled and weak, as if he could be blown away by a gust of wind at any moment.
In this battle, although he managed to preserve his life and utilized the secret technique passed down through generations in the Bachor family to resurrect, the price paid was immense. Not only did it consume a vast reserve of precious materials, but it also had a huge impact on him. Bachor's lifespan had been reduced by at least fifty years. His strength had also plummeted; currently, he was only at the level of a Level 5 monarch. It was likely that he could not even defeat any one of the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City in single combat.
"Chaos Federation!" Bachor gritted his teeth, his eyes seeming to spew fire. The imperial army had suffered another devastating defeat, and this time, the loss was so severe. Not only did it significantly weaken the military power of the southern border of the empire, but it also consumed a considerable amount of the empire's resources. Such a significant event was not possible to be concealed from the emperor.
They had expected to quickly conquer the Chaos Forest, but the situation had turned out to be a shitshow. Once the emperor learned of this, he would likely be extremely furious."
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