The shield's formidable defense came from the rune-inscribed beast hide covering its surface, which contained defensive talismans. However, even that had its limits. Under the relentless bombardment, cracks began to form.
Though it takes time to describe, all this happened in a mere instant.
"Sword-and-shield soldiers, disperse! Spearmen, advance. Kill!!"Yang Yanding's shout rang out.
The sword-and-shield soldiers immediately fell back, revealing the spearmen behind them, each gripping a White Bone War Spear. Clad in armor, their expressions were cold and unwavering. The spears, glinting with icy light, radiated a chilling aura of death. Their lethality was beyond question.
"Raise spears! Thrust!!"Yang Yanding issued the order.
Without hesitation, the front line raised their White Bone War Spears and thrust forward. Infused with true energy, the weapons pierced the air with explosive force.
Thousands of spears struck out in unison.
It was a terrifying sight.
You could dodge one, maybe two spears—but not three or four. They were everywhere. There was no room to evade. Caught in this overwhelming spear formation, the advancing Scorpion warriors were instantly impaled, their bodies riddled with spears. This spear array was practically unbreakable.
On the battlefield, if you couldn't dodge or withstand—death was the only outcome.
Splurt!!
Yet, the Scorpion warriors' destructive power was equally terrifying. Massive war blades slashed down with reckless abandon, cleaving through spears and striking soldiers directly. Armor and flesh were sliced in half, blood spraying violently. The carnage was brutal.
The blades' force was savage beyond imagination.
"Raise spears! Thrust!!"
Even as comrades fell around them, the spearmen didn't falter. The first row stepped back, and the second line advanced, spears raised, arms swinging. Cold light flashed—death followed.
Splurt, splurt, splurt!!
One spear after another pierced into Scorpion bodies, extinguishing all vitality. Still, some soldiers were cleaved in half by the swinging war blades. The battlefield became a scene of endless bloodshed.
The spear formation was relentless, stabbing again and again, each strike a deadly flash of blood and cold.
The battlefield was like a monstrous meat grinder. With every passing moment, someone fell—human or Scorpion. The only sounds were weapons tearing into flesh.
Cold and merciless.
Both the Xuanhuang Town Army and the Scorpion Army seemed like soulless war machines grinding against each other.
The battlefield—was a monster that devoured life.
…
Such a horrifying battle left every observing cultivator in deep shock. These were cultivators—many once lone fighters used to individual combat. They had never seen real armies clash like this. Let alone cultivator armies.
The destruction. The sheer scale. It was beyond imagination.
"So… this is what a real battlefield looks like? What a terrifying war… that spear formation, each thrust releasing a spear light that could pierce several meters. It's unstoppable unless you can completely overpower it. Otherwise, it's a death zone."
"This is what warfare between cultivators looks like. Those Scorpion blades are monstrous—one strike and a soldier is hacked clean in two. The power is terrifying. Facing the Scorpion Army alone would be certain death."
"But still, our Xuanhuang Town Army clearly holds the advantage. With Divine Crossbows and archers continuously firing, the Scorpion Army is taking massive losses. They can't break the spear formation. They're dying every moment. Their casualties far outstrip ours. There's no suspense left. This battle is ours."
One by one, the cultivators commented, still shaken, but already forecasting the outcome.
The tide had turned completely in favor of the human army.
While the frontlines clashed with the Scorpions, the rear Divine Crossbows and archers kept up a ceaseless barrage. Bolts and talisman arrows rained down, reaping lives with every second.
Of the 30,000-strong Scorpion Army, over 20,000 had already fallen.
"Throw!!"
Rumble!!
The sword-and-shield soldiers also acted. Taking out talisman bombs, they hurled them into the enemy ranks without mercy. Explosions tore through the air, ripping Scorpion bodies apart like rags.
"Damn these humans!!"
From beside the altar, Scorpion Demon stood, eyes cold and sinister. He hadn't expected such a one-sided slaughter between two armies of equal size.
Those Divine Crossbows, powerful bows, impenetrable shield walls, and terrifying spear formations had all displayed devastating power. Even if he didn't want to admit it, it was clear—his army, though fierce, was like rabble compared to this disciplined human army.
The result was one-sided from the start.
His rage and shame surged.
"Retreat. Fall back."
Scorpion Demon's lips twitched as he gave the order.
At once, the remaining Scorpion soldiers moved toward the altar. Even during the retreat, they endured a rain of arrows. Many more fell, becoming pincushions.
It was a gruesome sight.
By the time they reached the Demonic Altar, only 5,000 to 6,000 Scorpions remained from the original 30,000. They began withdrawing into a hidden tunnel.
"Cease pursuit!!"
Yi Tianxing, wary, gave the command as his gaze remained fixed on the Demonic Altar.
That altar had summoned a real demon before—he would not take risks. Any strange occurrence could spell disaster. He had no desire for unnecessary surprises.
"Yi Tianxing, even if you've won today, so what? My Scorpion race will not perish. One day, we will return. And when that time comes, the ones to fall—will be you humans."
Scorpion Demon looked at Yi Tianxing coldly. He'd lost—undeniably and completely. But he wouldn't stop here. With the Demonic Altar, his people didn't need to reproduce naturally. It could spawn warriors endlessly.
So long as the altar remained, so too did his power and future.
There would be a rematch—and next time, it wouldn't end like this.
"The next time we meet, even this Demonic Altar won't stop me. That day… will be your end." Yi Tianxing replied with a cold sneer.
If not for his wariness of the altar, he would've killed Scorpion Demon here and now.
"These humans—consider them a gift. Capturing more is easy. Outside your Xuanhuang Town, humans are weak, plentiful blood fodder." Scorpion Demon sneered, glancing at the captured civilians.
Humans roamed the wilderness in abundance. They were easy prey. The real purpose of this battle had been to gauge Xuanhuang Town's strength. Next time, he would be better prepared.
"Kill my people, and the blood debt must be paid!"Yi Tianxing's gaze turned cold, killing intent flashing in his eyes. He had a strong urge to end Scorpion Demon here—but just then, the Demonic Altar radiated a dangerous aura.
Clearly, the altar would not let the Scorpion race be wiped out so easily.
He endured.
Not until he could fully destroy the altar would he exterminate the Scorpions once and for all.
The remnants of the Scorpion Army retreated rapidly, altar in tow. In a blink, they vanished. The tunnel behind them collapsed and sealed, leaving no way to pursue.
"We did it! We won! We're saved! We really survived!"
"It's a human victory—we're not dreaming!"
"Is this really a human army? Those arrows… those spears! And the shields forming walls! Everything is different now. Even the myths are real. Even other races exist!"
"Waaaaaah!!—"
In the underground space, cries of joy burst from the rescued civilians. Their sobs were filled with relief, their faces radiant with hope. They had truly survived. The emotions were overwhelming.
"We won… So this is war. In mere moments, tens of thousands died. How brutal… how cruel…" one cultivator murmured.
This battlefield was truly a meat grinder.
Savage and merciless to the extreme.
Only strength brought survival. Everything else—illusion.
The law of the jungle was on full display here.
"Gather the fallen. Let them be buried in the Iron-Blood Great Wall."Yi Tianxing looked across the field of corpses—many of them his own. War could never be bloodless. Losses were inevitable. The only choice was to minimize them.