Volume 3 - Chapter 411: Rather Die Than Yield (Part 3)
But before anyone could cry out, Jiang Qiuyu had already transmitted a voice message—no one was to speak or plead for surrender.
Her heart ached—more than anyone’s. But she was also the most clear-headed.
The defeat was sealed. The death was certain. If they were to scream and beg for mercy now, it would only become fodder for the demons’ ridicule and laughter. It would crush the morale of the Human Clan.
This battle… the demons were watching. All thirty-six thousand Immortal Cities were watching. The Jiang Clan had lost—but they could not fear losing!
“Xuming…”
Jiang Qiuyu bit down on her silver teeth. Since taking the mantle of clan head tens of thousands of years ago, too many Jiang Clan geniuses had perished under her watch—her elder brother, her younger brother, her parents…
It wasn’t that she was incompetent. The wars were simply too frequent, and the Human Clan… too weak!
Now, once again, her own child was dying right before her eyes. Her heart was being shredded.
Why are you so foolish? Why didn’t you surrender? Why did you have to fight to the bitter end…
One question after another echoed painfully in her mind. But she knew the answer.
Because his name… was Jiang.
Because he, too, wanted to slay demons and exterminate evil!
“Jiang Xuming…”
From the Su and Lin Clans, figures like Su Muqing and Lin Jinrou silently watched the scene unfold. Their eyes were full of grief, but also awe—and above all, resolution and murderous intent.
Jiang Xuming had lost. He’d fallen. He hadn’t even been given a chance to beg for mercy. He had met death head-on.
But he had had the chance to surrender earlier—yet chose instead to burn his primordial spirit and stake everything on a final strike!
Though he failed to win, though this battle was lost, as the vanguard of the Human Clan, Jiang Xuming’s suicidal courage ignited a blaze within every spectator.
We may lose. We may die.
But we must never retreat!
“So this is your so-called peak genius?”
Within the Dao Arena, Chi Xu was still sacrificially refining Jiang Xuming’s remains. His form had now completely transformed into that of a human cultivator, eerily mimicking his foe. With a cruel smile tugging at his lips, he swept his gaze across the edge of the formation.
No sound could travel inward—but voices from within could be heard outside.
He chuckled. “Tasted quite good. But what a shame… so disappointing.”
His words echoed beyond the Dao Arena, into the domain of the demon races. Across their territories, waves of cheers erupted. The myriad demon clans called out Chi Xu’s name in triumph.
“Invincible Chi God!”
“Strongest of the Spirit Blood Clan!”
Their cries rang out in fervent unison.
Back on the Human Clan’s side—in the thirty-six thousand Immortal Cities of Gusu Imperial Star—those who had been anxious, questioning, terrified, now looked to the black cauldron where Jiang Xuming’s primordial spirit was being burned to ash.
And fell silent.
No one had imagined that such a dazzling, monstrous genius would fall here. That he would die so gruesomely, so tragically.
In that suffocating silence, someone—no one knew who—raised their voice.
“It’s only the first battle! So what? We can take it back!”
“That had to be the strongest among the demon kin. We still have the True Phoenix of the Su Clan. The Lin Clan’s Imperial Son hasn’t even acted yet!”
“Yeah! We can’t lose heart! He had a bright future, and he fought for us without backing down. How can we give up?”
Across the cities, a tidal wave of voices rose again—grief-stricken but defiant.
Countless cultivators cried out, united in rage.
Meanwhile, inside the Demon Ancestor’s Dao Arena, Chi Xu finally stowed the black cauldron away.
Jiang Xuming had fallen.
In front of everyone.
The first battle… was a demon victory.
“Seems the Human Clan has no intention of sending out your top geniuses. I heard there’s a Lin Clan Imperial Son… and a Su Clan True Phoenix. Will they be joining us?”
The purple-robed middle-aged man chuckled. But his voice, channeled through the boundary stone, resounded across both the Human and Demon domains.
Lin Daogong’s gaze darkened as he stared him down. “What, afraid we’ll back down? You think too highly of yourself. Even if we must die… the Human Clan will never retreat!”
His words seemed to echo on behalf of the fallen Jiang Xuming.
Countless Human cultivators roared in response, shaking the very stars with their cries.
That’s right. Even in death—we never retreat!
The Northern Territory’s Human Clan was no loose patchwork like others. Here, they had fought countless brutal battles with the demons. They had long seen through the demon’s ways. They understood that surrender would only reduce them to bargaining chips in demonic hands.
When pushed to the edge—that was when they showed their greatest courage.
“Good,” the purple-robed man laughed softly. “Don’t go getting scared off now.”
In truth, he was worried that Chi Xu’s performance would scare the Human side into caution. That they’d only send some nobodies next.
He didn’t just want to slay one Human genius.
He wanted to annihilate this entire generation of them!
“Who’s next?”
Within the Dao Arena, Chi Xu’s cold voice rang out once more, lips curled in mockery as he looked toward the outside world.
At that, the fury of the crowd wavered.
He wasn’t planning to step down? He wanted… to keep fighting?
In that moment, everyone—Jiang Clan, Su Clan, Lin Clan, and all others—turned grim. Shock and rage clashed on their faces.
But Su Zhenyuan and Jiang Qiuyu fell silent. The rules had never prohibited consecutive battles.
The demons had brought twenty warriors. The battles would continue—until they were all spent.
But with Chi Xu’s overwhelming performance… even Jiang Xuming had been crushed. Not even celestial pills and forced breakthroughs could turn the tide.
Who could possibly step forth next? Who dared?
All eyes slowly turned to Su Muqing, Lin Jinrou, and a certain young man of the Lin Clan.
Among the gathered geniuses, their reputations were the strongest. Of them all, Su Muqing’s name stood at the top.
Anyone else would be walking to their death.
Only they had a real chance of a fight.
Even Lin Jinrou seemed… just a little lacking. She might not be a match.
Realistically… only Su Muqing.
Su Zhenyuan’s expression grew dark.
Was he really going to let his daughter step up now?
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