Bloodstained Black.

Once they met up with the incoming reinforcements, there was no longer a need for Yao Jun and the others to worry about getting attacked from behind. Some of the soldiers stopped for a short second, making sure that everyone in the squad was okay. Once they made sure that there were no life-threatening injuries that they needed to take care of, they continued their charge, looking to help the other retreating squads.

There was no worry that the enemy would attack the camp, as it was protected by a powerful array that only people like Diana, Radulf, or Elysande could break. The soldiers in the squad practically collapsed once they reached the camp, their nerves finally getting to them.

Yao Jun immediately swallowed two of the Returning Breath Pills that Leyland had given him, directing the medicinal energy to his lung and chest. The pills had even been able to help repair his body after it was heavily wounded from traveling through a spatial crack, so it was more than capable of repairing his punctured lung.

Yao Jun did not rest, his eyes immediately turning towards the battles that were taking place in the air. Thanks to his drastically strengthened eyes, he was able to see everything that went down with perfect clarity. The orange gorilla, Hartford, kept punching at Grendel, each punch accompanied by a strange energy that caused the space around the fist to vibrate fiercely. The spider that Elysande had turned into on the other hand was surrounded by a fine pink mist and thin strings that were almost impossible to see.

The pink mist seemed to be a highly corrosive poison, as everything it touched started to sizzle and slowly melt. Whenever a soldier or Demonic beast touched the mist, they immediately grasped at their chests, before quickly falling over dead, their bodies melting and turning into more mist. But no matter how fierce the attacks of Elysande and Hartford were, Diana and Grendel did not budge in the slightest.

The black holes that Grendel had spawned continued to pull at the two of them, space twisting and shattering under the strong gravity. Diana also did not let Grendel do all the work, running across the air, straight at Elysande. Each slash of her scythe cut apart space, miniature black holes forming within the cuts. Whenever she hit Elysande or Hartford, their bodies would sink a little, turning more sluggish as time went on, so Yao Jun guessed that each hit of Diana's scythe increased the gravity on her opponent.

Just as the name suggested, the law of demons was a weaker version of Yao Jun's Supreme Law of Demons. Yao Jun could absorb any number of Demonic beasts and use their powers, but someone who cultivated in the law of demons could only absorb one Demonic beast, taking on some of its properties and becoming able to use their abilities. But as they were unable to change what Demonic beast they used for their law, most people spent a long time thinking about what Demonic beast was best for them.

Isolde and Emeric were also fighting fiercely, forcing back Radulf and his two commanders, Gales and Roseia. Isolde's tornadoes and blades of wind were able to negate most of the flames, while Emeric's bones pierced through any semblance of defense that Radulf and the others put up. Yao Jun did not think that normal bones had that type of piercing power, so he guessed that Emeric might have fused another law into his law of bones.

The other soldiers were busy with recuperating, but Yao Jun simply let the pills do their job on their own, every fiber of his being focused on seeing as much of the battles as he could. This was the type of strength he was looking for right now, only he had to go even further, reach even higher, to a point where no one could go against him.

Thanks to the clear advantage Diana had, Elysande and Hartford had no choice but to admit that the intel they had about her strength had been faulty. The two exchanged a glance, before quickly disengaging from combat, pulling back. As they pulled back, both sent out one attack that fused together into a single defensive wall, an orange mist that vibrated so strongly that space around it completely collapse, even the black holes forced to pull back.

Seeing Elysande pull back like that, Radulf and his commanders also pulled back, the air in front of them turning into a wave of flames that forced Isolde and Emeric to mount a quick defense. They all quickly pulled back and retreated to their own camp, bringing the grand battle to a halt. The camp of the Final Fire Clan was also surrounded by an array, so it would be hard for Diana and the others to break in and finish them off.

While they could indeed break through the array, they would have to resist the attacks of Elysande and the others, who were all strengthened by the array. The risks were greater than the reward, so they simply chose to pull back, for now, preparing for later. As Diana and her two commanders returned to camp, Yao Jun was surprised to see that Diana was in a surprisingly good mood, a fierce and faint smile on her face.

As she made her way back to her own tent, she pulled out a crystal and started talking to it, seemingly talking to someone else, the smile on her face slowly growing wider and wider. She vanished into her tent, so Yao Jun started to focus on speeding up the healing of his wounds. After Yao Jun spent a few hours recuperating, he heard the sound of footsteps near, so he opened his eyes and stopped focusing on recuperating, glancing at the approaching Hamly and the others, who were now missing two people. They had somewhat complicated expressions on their faces as they looked at him, Edelina breaking the silence with a slight bow, the others quickly following her.

"Thank you."

After helping the squad retreat, there was no longer a way for Yao Jun to hide the fact that he was the black-armored soldier that had wreaked such havoc in the Final Fire Clan squads. Reyner and the others had thought Yao Jun was someone weaker than them, so finding out that he was far stronger than all of them combined was a bit of a shock to them. Yao Jun merely gave a slight shake of his head at their bow, shrugging his shoulders somewhat.

"No need to thank me, we are all part of the same squad after all. What can I help you with?"

Yao Jun swept his gaze of the group, the usually silent Drogo Hab and Mjoll Ihohne were not present, nor had they been present during the retreat. It did not take too much guessing to realize that they had likely died before the squad managed to meet up with Yao Jun. Seeing this, Yao Jun could only let out a sigh and shake his head. The two were usually silent, but they were still enjoyable to hang out with whenever he had the time. Edelina knew why Yao Jun was sighing, her expression turning a bit gloomy. But as she looked at Yao Jun and spoke out, her expression brightened like a blazing flame, giving him a bow so deep it almost turned into her kneeling.

"Looking at the state that this war has turned to, it is unlikely that weaklings like us will get another chance to participate. At best we will have to stay in the background and keep an eye on the neutral parties that are spying on the course of the war. But you are different, you are strong enough that you will likely get to take part in the next battle. We beg of you, please avenge our fallen brethren!"

With the Merging Heaven Clan joining the war, it was clear that Diana was going to take drastic actions. People like Edelina and Reyner were useless in the battles that were about to take place, so they were likely not even going to get to leave the camp. They could only rely on someone else to take revenge for them. Yao Jun slightly raised an eyebrow at her words, but then gave a short nod of his head.

"Neutral parties? Avenge your fallen brethren huh? If I get a chance to do so, I won't mind, but I can't promise anything."

In war, there were no neutral sides, only enemies or allies that had yet to reveal themselves. Once the World Tree Clan showed that they were winning, the observers would rush to aid them. But if they were to show that they were losing, the observers would rush to crush them. The expressions of Edelina and the others grew grateful, giving Yao Jun another deep bow before leaving.

"As long as you are willing to try, that is enough for us. Thank you."

Strength equaled respect, so no matter how friendly they felt that they were with Yao Jun, they were unable to treat him like they had before finding out about his strength. A few hours after Edelina and the others left Yao Jun, a soldier in ashen armor approached Yao Jun. He had already gotten used to it, so he got up and quietly followed the soldier, heading directly to Diana's tent. Upon entering the tent, Diana greeted him with the same faint smile she held earlier, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"The Merged Heaven Clan has joined the Final Fire Clan, so it is clear that none of them really care for keeping up appearances any longer. In that case, we will show them exactly how deep the foundations of the World Tree Clan are."

The World Tree Clan was stronger than the Merged Heaven Clan, and it was far older than the Final Fire Clan. If it pulled out everything it had hidden away, the two enemy clans could only flee in defeat. But that would leave the World Tree Clan vulnerable to other attacks, so they preferred to use the war against the Final Fire Clan to train their younger generation, and if possible, win without expending too many resources. Diana did not stop talking, her gaze sweeping past Yao Jun and onto the camp that spread out outside the entrance of her tent.

"In one month we will receive reinforcements from the clan, at that time we will start the last battle that will take place on this planet. None that have arrived from the Final Fire Clan or Merged Heaven Clan will be allowed to leave alive. In this battle, anyone who doesn't have strength at the 9th Xiantian Heaven is completely useless, so most of the army we have here will stay behind in the camp and wait."

The smile on Diana's face grew a bit crooked as she spoke, her eyes flashing with a red light as the green scales on her neck turned black. As she cultivated the law of demons, she had inherited some of Grendel's innate violence and love for bloodshed. Her mental state quickly calmed down as she continued to talk, Yao Jun calmly listening.

"There are several possible enemies keeping an eye on the battle, so the soldiers left behind are responsible for making sure to track any suspicious moves they might make. I want you to take part in the battle, with your myriad of elements and sharp senses, there are plenty of things for you to do. You don't need to worry about me just throwing you into the fire, I will give you a new defensive talisman as well as a formation core that will let you draw upon the collected might of all the soldiers that are waiting in the camp. Same rules as previous battle, I will reward you for every single enemy that you kill."

Diana had seen Yao Jun display his might, his myriad of laws. She did not look at him with the same eyes she used when she first met him, as if she was looking at a mysterious ant. Now she looked at him like a valuable asset, one that could be groomed to be exceedingly helpful to the World Tree Clan. This was why she was not willing to threaten him to join the battle, as she wanted him to feel a bit more comfortable with the World Tree Clan. Yao Jun fondled his chin for a short moment but quickly responded.

"One month, huh? Alright, I accept the deal."

Even though Diana was not willing to threaten him, Yao Jun knew that he was not really in a position to deny. After all, if he denied, where would he go? He knew next to nothing about the surrounding planets or how to move between them, he was also in need of funds, so there was no merit to denying. Diana gave a quick nod at his words, pulling out the same crystal she had spoken into earlier.

"Good. Gil will be part of the incoming reinforcements, he will be bringing the promised items."

Since the deal was made, Yao Jun did not bother staying in the tent any longer, standing up and making his way back to the quarters of his squad. He had one month, so he figured he would probably be able to break into the 4th Houtian Sky while waiting for the reinforcements.

--

While Yao Jun was returning to his own quarters, Elysande was having a meeting with Radulf and the leaders of the Final Fire Clan army that was stationed here. The meeting was taking place in a small house that consisted of a single room that contained only a large table surrounded by chairs. A somewhat joyful silence hung over the room, Elysande slowly opening her mouth, asking the question at the forefront of her mind.

"That thing that showed up during the last battle, the one that decimated several squads, tell me everything you know about it."

The thing Elysande was talking about was the disguised Yao Jun. Of course, the only reason she was asking about him was because she knew something about him that the Final Fire Clan did not know. The female commander of the Final Fire Clan, Roseia, waved her hand at a soldier clad in orange armor, indicating for him to speak up.

"Appeared in the battlefield twice, wreaking havoc both times. Name, unknown. Age, unknown. Actual cultivation is unknown as it keeps fluctuating whenever it appears. The laws we know that it is using are space, darkness, wind, fire, ice, and lightning. Thanks to the black armor it is wearing, the soldiers that survived its battles have taken to calling it Bloodstained Black."

The soldiers that survived the two battles Yao Jun had taken part in, especially the one that had taken place just now, shivered at the thought of him. Squads simply fell apart whenever he visited them, most people only ever managed to see his bloodstained armor before they died. After hearing the report, Elysande let out a low whisper, her voice so low that no one else managed to hear it.

"Bloodstained Black, huh? I wonder, just where did the World Tree Clan find a fragment lord holding a piece of the Supreme Law of Demons?"

Peyton had already reported to her that someone wearing a black armor had killed his slave. That someone also held a fragment of the Supreme Law of Demons, which explained the myriad of laws he could use. After letting out the slight whisper, Elysande's lips curled into a slight smile as she turned towards the direction of the World Tree Clan camp.

"There is no doubt that the World Tree Clan is looking to end the battle on this planet very soon, so their true forces will probably arrive soon. I wonder, how will they react when they realize that it isn't only us that have allied with the Final Fire Clan, but even Heaven's Gate, the Primordial Sea Clan, and Endless Abyss have joined them?"

The others around the table could not help but chuckle at hearing her words. Heaven's Gate was a sect that was just about as strong as the World Tree Clan, they controlled a great deal of the western parts of the universe. The Endless Abyss was the same as Heaven's Gate, but they were more focused on the eastern parts of the universe. The Primordial Sea Clan, on the other hand, was about the same as the Finale Fire Clan, somewhat weaker than the World Tree Clan, but they were very widespread over the northern parts of the universe.

The meeting went on for a bit longer before the people in the room split up, leaving Elysande alone with her thoughts. Once she was alone, her expression turned into one of worry and confusion, her gaze once again turned towards the distant camp of the World Tree Clan, a soft voice escaping her mouth.

"Heaven's Gate, Endless Abyss, Merging Heaven Clan, Final Fire Clan, Primordial Sea Clan. What is the World Tree Clan hiding from the world, that the survival of these five majestic powers requires the fall of the World Tree Clan?"

Not only her Merging Heaven Clan, even Heaven's Gate, Endless Abyss, and Primordial Sea Clan had gotten the same warning from the Destiny Godking, that their survival required the downfall of the World Tree Clan. Knowing this, she could not help but worry over what the World Tree Clan was hiding, that it could threaten five of the greatest powers in the universe?