Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Battle Is Imminent!

"Everyone, please, do me a favor."

"My younger brother and sister are young and foolish. As their big brother, I apologize to you all on their behalf."

Bowing his head, Jiang Xuan offered a polite bow to the representatives of the Seven Great Clans.

Yet, in response to this scene, the beasts of the seven clans bristled, acting as if they were facing a mortal enemy.

The Empress and the Demon Lord, who were on the verge of death but still clinging to a sliver of consciousness, finally lifted their heavy eyelids and let out a sigh of relief.

"This big fat bird has saved me once again. My faith in him was not misplaced."

The Empress felt a wave of gratitude, a warmth flooding her heart.

"It seems this lad is different from the others."

"My life is filled with blood and sin, yet he remains devoted to me, neither killing me nor abandoning me. This..."

Though reluctant, the Demon Lord knew that he no longer truly hated this young man.

In his previous life, every clan feared him, and all living things withered rapidly upon his arrival. The very title "Demon Lord" was synonymous with misfortune. Because of this, the Demon Lord had built layer upon layer of walls around his heart; to him, the word "trust" was an alien concept, far too heavy a burden to bear.

"Hmph! You’ve come at the perfect time!"

"Today, our seven clans will surely slaughter you here!"

The massive Tyrannical Tiger leaped in front of Jiang Xuan, looking down at the "ant" at his feet like a mountain. With his Ninth-Tier cultivation, his tone was far more aggressive. Most importantly, he noted that Jiang Xuan still wore a faint smile and showed no murderous intent.

"We of the Sheep Clan! We will kill these two devils today!"

"The Peacock Clan will never let them go!"

"And my Ox Clan! If we let them go, how can we face our thousands of kin who died?"

"..."

The overwhelming roars crashed against Jiang Xuan like a hurricane. His thirteen subordinates arrived late, standing behind him, though they were of little consequence.

Jiang Xuan felt a surge of exasperation. These two were nothing but trouble! If he had arrived even a step later, they would have been dead and gone. Perhaps anticipating this, Jiang Xuan understood the fury of the seven clans.

"Everyone, as long as I am here today, my brother and sister will not die."

"What did you say!"

Without further words, the clash began. The Ninth-Tier Tyrannical Tiger took the lead, slamming down a paw! It carried the force of thunder and the power to crush mountains—truly worthy of the Tiger Clan.

***

With such speed and power, Jiang Xuan raised his arms to block, yet he was forced back several steps! He was a Great Demon, after all! Truly, innate talent was more important than anything else...

"Let me repeat: can you do me a favor and not force me to start a massacre?"

"I’m not boasting, but even if all of you came at once, you would be no match for me."

"Damn it! How dare you!"

"Cut the crap! Kill him!"

Damn it... Jiang Xuan was on the verge of cursing out loud; he really wasn't boasting! It seemed that saying anything only triggered the battle further.

The seven clans swarmed forward. Towering trees collapsed one after another, and the ground cracked like a spiderweb, the fissures spreading all the way to the edge of the cliff. High above, Jiang Xuan stood alone against the seven clans, his Extreme Yang Fire dyeing the entire sky red!

"Damn it, I want to go help Big Brother! The seven clans have more and more reinforcements arriving!"

"We can't! Big Brother said we must protect the Empress and the Demon Lord; we can't just interfere blindly!"

"Damn, us thirteen hawk demons are just protecting these two? They’ve got some nerve!"

"Then what do we do? Can you handle that level of combat?"

"Who says I can't! I’m already Seventh-Tier! There are only three Ninth-Tier beasts and a dozen Eighth-Tier ones up there. If we don't go now, are we just going to watch Big Brother die?"

Flower-Beak was the first male hawk Jiang Xuan had saved. Because he was the most resourceful and the biggest chatterbox, Jiang Xuan had named him Flower-Beak. The other hawk demons didn't know it, but he truly regarded Jiang Xuan as his big brother. His involvement with the Empress and the Demon Lord was half out of coercion and half for the promised resources. But in this current situation, he could not watch Jiang Xuan fight alone!

"If we go, we go together! I’m going to help Big Brother too!"

"Yeah, Big Brother has fed us so many resources lately; we can't just stand by and watch him get ganged up on!"

"What about those two? Just leave them here? They might get crushed by stray spiritual energy later!"

"How about this: Little Rose and Little Orchid will take them back to the nest. There’s a defensive formation there, and it’s far away."

"Fine! We’ll get them there and then come back to help you!"

Agreement reached, the flock of hawks took to the sky from the ground—a truly spectacular sight.

***

In the air, Flower-Beak’s concerns were valid, though Jiang Xuan was baffled. As a Great Demon confident in his ability to fight above his tier, why the hell couldn't he subdue these beasts on his own? He had the bloodline of a Holy Beast surging within him!

"Big Brother! You’re being an idiot! Just kill them!"

"You're just tickling them! Every step you retreat, they’ll push you three steps further!"

"Why are you all here? What about the Empress and the Demon Lord?" Hearing Flower-Beak’s voice, Jiang Xuan finally noticed his subordinates had swarmed out to join the fray.

Flower-Beak’s words snapped Jiang Xuan back to reality. He had indeed been too lenient, which was why the battle had dragged on. After all, he was in the wrong here, and he hadn't intended to kill these beasts. He hadn't even transformed into his true form yet. Still, the fact that he couldn't hold them off in human form bothered him.

"Big Brother, Little Rose and Little Orchid took them back to the nest!"

"If you don't use your real power, you’re really going to lose, Big Brother!"

"Damn you, I’ll bite you!"

With that, Flower-Beak charged into the beast horde, picking off the weak ones. Jiang Xuan sighed deeply; it seemed he had no choice but to fight for real today.

With that thought, golden light erupted, and golden radiance shimmered across the black giant eagle's wings. A piercing eagle cry instantly brought the fighting on the battlefield to a standstill!

"What kind of spiritual power is this! Is it even possible for us to beat this guy?"

"A Great Demon is truly terrifying! But this one—I feel he’s much stronger than the one I saw months ago!"

"Golden Crow bloodline! He has the Golden Crow bloodline! Oh no, we can't win!"

Panic spread through the beast horde... Everyone was gulping in fear, their pupils dilated as they stared at Jiang Xuan’s terrifying aura! The sheer size of his form, comparable to that of the Eighth-Tier Magic Ox, was enough to make the horde want to retreat! Moreover, the Extreme Yang Fire wreathing the giant eagle had branded terror deep into their souls!

"That's it! Big Brother is showing his power! So cool!"

"He’s here! He’s finally here! When Big Brother makes his move, the seven clans are nothing!"

"Big Brother is kind-hearted, and you all didn't know when to quit. Now look at you, cowering in fear!"

"Big Brother is so cool, I want to bear his hawk chicks!"

"Damn it, Little Green... didn't you say you wanted to be with me?"

"That was just for the resources, you idiot! How could you compare to Big Brother?"

"I... I surrender completely!"