Chapter 359: A Desperate Battle

“Jiaohong, so all of this was planned by your Mi Jiao clan? From the moment we were surrounded, we’ve been under your control the whole time? Even all the information given to us was fake?” As the leader of the Mi Jiao clan spoke, Merk coughed twice, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared at him coldly.

He then turned his icy gaze toward the Sixth Elder—the one responsible for information within the clan. This rebellion was a fatal blow to the Black Phoenix clan. Without information, they were like blind and deaf people, unaware of anything, and those who had betrayed them were mostly the ones in charge of gathering information!

Realizing this, Merk and everyone else understood why they had been ambushed despite trying to move down the mountain secretly. The enemy knew everything about their actions. It was all because of the Sixth and Second Elders. This operation had been planned by the Second Elder, Hei Yin, and the First Elder, so the Second Elder knew everything about it.

It made sense that they hadn’t received any news about the arrival of the demon army either—it was all due to the Sixth Elder! At this thought, Merk’s expression grew even darker and colder.

“That’s right. All your actions are under my control. Hehe, and the information I gave you is true. Right now, the Opposition’s Dark Moon City is in grave danger. I just hid the fact that I have ten thousand demon troops!” With a sneer, Jiaohong spoke calmly, clearly satisfied with the current situation. The Black Phoenix clan had many casualties and posed no threat anymore. The Mi Jiao clan was on the verge of victory.

After this victory, the Black Phoenix clan would be removed from the Dark Source, and the Mi Jiao clan would replace them as a more powerful clan. With the Dragon clan’s destruction and the Scorpion King clan about to fall as well, only the Mi Jiao clan would rule the Dark Source. The demons had promised to give it to them, and they would share the outer continents with the Wolf clan. Then they would be the rulers, and the Mi Jiao clan would achieve unprecedented glory!

“Despicable!”
“Scumbag!”

As Jiaohong finished speaking, curses erupted everywhere. Everyone glared at him fiercely, as if wanting to devour him.

But Jiaohong ignored it all. To him, these were people who were about to die, and he didn’t care at all about their opinions.

“What benefits has he given you? Why sentence my Black Phoenix Clan to destruction? Our clan has treated you well, granting you high positions—yet you…” Having gotten the answer he wanted, Mo Ke turned his gaze to the two elders and asked in a deep voice. As an elder of the Black Phoenix Clan, one of the four major families of the Source of Darkness, Mo Ke couldn’t think of anything that could drive them to such betrayal. As for status, they were already at the pinnacle of the Source of Darkness; as for wealth, they had plenty; power was also not a problem. So what else could tempt them?

Could the destruction of the Black Phoenix Clan benefit them? Clearly not. After this battle, the Black Phoenix Clan would cease to exist—how could they still retain everything they had?

Feeling Mo Ke’s gaze, the two avoided his eyes and did not answer.

“Hehe, there are things your Black Phoenix Clan simply cannot offer, like strength! These two now possess the strength of the Yin Yellow Realm! The pro-war faction has mastered the method of crafting Split Mysterious Pills, allowing them to break through the divine realm’s constraints and enter this unfathomable Yin Yellow Realm in a short time! Can your Black Phoenix Clan offer that?”

“Moreover, what kind of status have you given them? Once everyone here is eliminated, those two will return to the Black Phoenix Clan and become its rulers. No one will know what happens afterward. The Sixth Elder will become the clan leader, while the Second Elder will establish the clan’s enforcement council. How does that compare to what your Black Phoenix Clan offers?” Jiao Hong said proudly, twisting his lips.

Split Mysterious Pills—just thinking of it filled him with excitement. He hadn’t expected the pro-war faction to have mastered their creation. Although the materials were scarce and only a limited number could be produced, twenty pills were eventually made. As part of the alliance, the Mi Jiao Clan received five, the Wolf Clan received five, the pro-war faction kept six for themselves, and the remaining four were given to those in need.

“Split Mysterious Pills!” At the mention of this name, the crowd erupted in clamor. It was indeed Split Mysterious Pills! How could the pro-war faction possibly have managed to create them? Looking at the strength of the Second and Sixth Elders before them, the crowd’s expressions grew complex—they now understood why they had done this.

For people at their level, this was indeed a deadly temptation! Plus, although the Black Phoenix Clan, after its reorganization, was no longer as strong as before, it was still considered a decent clan. So…

Some people’s gazes toward Jiao Hong turned intense in that instant, but after Duolong’s cold snort, they snapped back to reality, blaming themselves in silence.
“Good… very good… Fenxuan Dan, I see. Now I understand!” Merk said with a bitter smile, as if suddenly aged ten years.
“I never expected you to use Fenxuan Dan to bribe two elders. But it seems you’re not very aware of its side effects. Using Fenxuan Dan almost guarantees that you’ll never progress further—trapped at this level forever, unable to achieve anything more. Has this temporary pleasure cost you everything? Is it really worth it?” Lucy stepped forward and said, her expression complex as she looked at the people across from her.
These words caused another wave of uproar. Many likely heard about the effects and side effects of Fenxuan Dan for the first time, finding it hard to believe such side effects existed! The second and sixth elders across from them also showed bitter expressions.
“So what? It’s better than staying in the Divine Realm and waiting to die!” Jiao Hong said bluntly, without the slightest regret, even as he curled his lips.
Those words silenced many. Indeed, only those who had reached the higher stages of the Divine Realm could understand this. After transforming into human form, failing to progress within a hundred years meant certain death. And even in the higher stages of the Divine Realm, you only had a short hundred years. How many people in this world had the talent to break free from these constraints? Otherwise, there would be so few like them today. And how many heroes ended up dying in despair because of it?
Looking back at the mountains behind her, Lucy prayed silently. She hoped that at this moment, that god-like man would appear, hoping he could save her family in its time of crisis. Perhaps only he could save the family now.
Although she knew that one person alone was weak and might not be able to do much even if they appeared, Lucy still held onto hope. Because as long as that person was there, as long as they could see them, no difficulty could be considered insurmountable—no matter how hard it was, they could overcome it.
“Buying time? Waiting for that Knightrod? Or waiting for the Scorpion King’s clan and the Dragon clan? Hehe, don’t count on the Dragon clan. Maybe their situation is even worse than yours right now. The Wolf clan is guarding over there, with the Wolf King in charge. Even if the Dragon clan has extraordinary powers, they can only wait to die. As for the Scorpion King’s clan, if they don’t want to be the next to perish, they’ll wisely choose to ignore all this. So don’t hold any expectations.”

As for that Knightrod, yes, I have to admit it! He’s extremely strong—truly the best among the younger generation. No, now he could even be called the best among the Dark Ones! I heard he’s about to reach the Yangxuan realm? Hehe, if he entered that realm to help, he might be of some use, but from what I’ve heard, there’s no news at all right now. He doesn’t even know his own life is in danger—how can he care about you? Stop joking.” Sensing Lucy’s gaze and thoughts, Jiaohong struck back mercilessly.

“You… that can’t be true. Brother Rod definitely won’t get hurt. Just wait—he’ll come!” Hearing Jiaohong’s words, Lucy’s face turned red with anger as she shouted loudly.

At the same time, Nightingale and the others also glared at Jiaohong coldly, their eyes filled with deadly intent. No one could blame Rod—no one! Those who dared accuse him would have to die to atone, even if they were strong!

Under the gaze of the Death Scythe Squad, Jiaohong, who was now in the Hard Environment Realm for some reason, felt a shiver without explanation. He glared back fiercely, “Are these Rod’s subordinates? Hmm, not bad. It’s a pity, but today you’ll all die with them. As for Rod, don’t worry—I’ll make him join you soon!”

“Enough talk! Kill them all, not a single one left!” As soon as he finished speaking, Jiaohong thought to himself that he absolutely couldn’t let these threats remain. Even though they were weak, they still posed endless dangers. He couldn’t keep them around—they would become a major threat in the future. To be honest, he was a bit scared.

Another fierce battle ensued. The Black Phoenix clan, now gathered together, numbered only seven hundred, with one-third injured, drastically reducing their combat strength. Faced with three thousand ferocious Mi Jiao clan members and the main forces of the demon race, along with an additional ten thousand troops watching eagerly, they felt despair for the first time.

“You rest. I know you can’t bring yourselves to fight. Don’t worry—I, Jiaohong, keep my word. Rest now, and none of you will be left behind!” After giving orders to the second and sixth elders, Jiaohong returned outside the camp to watch from afar.

Yet, a terrifying cold light flashed in his eyes, and an uncontrollable killing intent seeped out.

“We can’t keep them either. We don’t need traitors!” The gaunt old man said after taking a deep breath.

“Well, Ancestor, rest assured. Jiaohong knows what to do! Traitors? We really don’t need traitors! Hehe, I disdain such people. If it weren’t for the war faction giving orders, I would have gotten rid of them right away. It’s just a shame about those two Fenxuan Pills!” With a sigh, Jiaohong said regretfully.