Across the Barrenfire Stone Plains, darkness stretched from the gorge to the basin. While the gorge and basin themselves were not naturally black, they now appeared as such due to the vast number of black stone statues. Countless in quantity, ranging from tens of thousands to even millions, these statues stood at a height of six to seven feet, featuring menacing teeth and large wings on their backs. Emitting an aura of darkness, these statues invoked an involuntary sense of fear and unease.
The spectacle was truly astonishing. However, Gargoyle Demon King Shi Zhiyang's emotions were intricate. Utilizing the funds provided by Yan Qianjun, he had worked incessantly for four days and nights, summoning without respite. In total, he had called forth an army of 2.8 million gargoyle combatants.
Yes, that's right. A staggering 2.8 million!
It was utterly insane!
Although they were all Level 1 normal combat units, their sheer number was so immense that its capability went beyond attacking just a single Demon King. It could potentially conquer the entire Chaos Forest.
Confronted with the vast assembly of gargoyle soldiers covering the mountains and plains, Yan Qianjun was thoroughly satisfied. It was as though he had completed a monumental masterpiece. Even ten billion continental gold coins would be a fortune for Marquis-level nobles. However, Yan Qianjun did not even bat an eye when giving it to Shi Zhiyang. Money did not interest him; he was seeking power. His sole objective was to slay the Great Dragon Demon King.
This was the grand gift prepared for the Demon King. Shi Zhiyang converted the gold into nearly a hundred million gold, ultimately forming an overwhelming army of gargoyle soldiers that blanketed the land and sky.
Yan Qianjun's decision to choose Shi Zhiyang was undeniably wise. If he had opted for a minotaur, boarfolk, or any other conventional races of Demon Kings, summoning without restraint like this would have become an outright nightmare.
Two or three million units. That's two or three million mouths to feed!
Combat units had a substantial appetite, and this would consume an emperor's portion of ration. Maintaining an army of such magnitude would result in colossal expenses and burdens, even for a nation-level power. If the supply could not keep up, it would hinder the formation of combat capability and possibly lead to disaster instead.
Even for the undead.
Although they seemingly did not require food or drink, they still needed to absorb death energy from their surroundings to replenish their bodies. The altars of the undead-type Demon Kings could produce the energy the undead army needed. But the enormous amount of energy required by several million undead was exceptionally vast. Their daily consumption in gold could easily reach hundreds of thousands. Should the supply be delayed, the undead would lose their combat capabilities. Over time, they would also face death.
Gargoyles were an incredibly unique form of undead. They could maintain a petrified state of dormancy, only breaking free from it when they needed to be active. This significantly reduced their energy consumption. If they remained active constantly, gargoyles would also require daily energy replenishment.
Maintaining such a massive army came with an extraordinarily high cost, likely around three hundred thousand gold per day. However, if they stayed in their petrified dormancy, gargoyles could endure for up to fifteen days. Even if their energy was completely drained, they would not perish immediately. Instead, they would enter a deep slumber, capable of surviving for several years. As long as they received sufficient energy replenishment, they could revive from this deep dormancy.
At this moment, the entire expanse was filled with over two million dormant gargoyle combat units, strategically preserving their strength, allowing Yan Qianjun ample time to utilize them in battle later.
"Excellent! Truly splendid! What a colossal force!" Yan Qianjun's satisfaction radiated as he exclaimed, "The Chaos Forest's Demon King is nothing! All of the Southern realm's Demon Kings shall tremble before this might!"
This spectacle was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The eight Guardian Knights exchanged meaningful glances, finally comprehending why Demon Kings deserved their fearsome reputation. This collective entity was truly formidable. In theory, each Demon King, even the weakest among them, wielded power capable of obliterating the world.
These gargoyle combat units were not individually strong. A well-trained empire's official soldier could probably take on ten or eight of these creatures single-handedly. In other words, theoretically, the strength of over two million gargoyle combat units was approximately equal to that of over twenty thousand empire official troops. At first glance, it might seem like just a regular legion, nothing extraordinary.
Yet, in actuality, it was quite the contrary. Gargoyles attacked by propelling spear-like stone projectiles, and with their staggering numbers, the resultant impact was horrifyingly formidable. This was also one of the reasons Yan Qianjun opted for gargoyles. Unrestrained summoning of combat units was a capability most Demon Kings could not wield. The Gargoyle Demon King was among the very few exceptions.
At that very moment, a Gargoyle Demon descended from the skies. Approaching the Demon King, he reported, "After days of thorough reconnaissance, we've confirmed the presence of a powerful Abyssal Dragon within the confines of the Bloody Fortress."
"It appears to be him," Shi Zhiyang observed, looking towards Yan Qianjun. "So, what's your plan?"
Yan Qianjun grinned and replied, "Plan? We've been gearing up for this, all to take down that dragon! Now that we've pinpointed its location, it's time to put our preparations into motion!"
Under the cover of night, the Barrenfire Stone Plains and the Stone Curse Mountains were enshrouded in a dark void. Hurricane winds howled, casting a dense and eerie shadow. If anyone happened to witness this scene, their astonishment would be undeniable.
A multitude of gargoyles, numbering in the millions, descended from the rocky landscape, infiltrating the southern forest and racing against the impending dawn to reach the Bloody Fortress.
However, despite the cloak of night, concealing such a massive operation was nearly impossible. The Bloody Fortress reacted immediately. Countless beholders unleashed energy beams, and the gargoyle soldiers were struck and obliterated, falling like raindrops in a frenzied dance. While the extent of casualties might seem exaggerated, it was relatively minor in terms of the total numbers involved.
"Attack!"
The gargoyle combat units initiated their assault. Countless stone spears, ranging from hundreds of thousands to even millions, descended like a massive obsidian cloud. The protective barrier of the Bloody Fortress was struck and underwent an immediate distortion. Even though the individual offensive capability of these Level 1 units was unremarkable, the combined assault resulted in a horrifying impact that could only be described as extraordinary.
The second wave of attacks descended swiftly. The protective barriers of the Bloody Fortress were riddled with holes as countless stone spears pierced through the cracks, striking the inside of the barrier. At this moment, the entire Bloody Fortress was encircled by a dense multitude of gargoyle soldiers, forming layers upon layers that left no escape.
Thousands of beholders were fiercely attacking, but their attack speed was not sufficient. A single beholder could attack just over twenty times before depleting its MP pool. Despite the efforts of thousands or even tens of thousands of beholders, their MP was ultimately exhausted. Against the gargoyle soldiers, the damage inflicted was minimal. This was the tactic of overwhelming with numbers, compensating for quality with quantity.
A roaring growl shook the air. Wang Er and Zhao Wu, the two Earth Drake Grand Marshals, transformed into Diamond Earth Drakes and charged out of the fortress, enduring the dense rain-like attacks. However, no matter how many stone spears struck them, the Diamond Earth Drakes remained unscathed. These attacks could not breach their formidable defense. Despite their incredible resilience, the Grand Marshals were at a disadvantage in terms of flight, leaving them with limited options in this situation.
Simultaneously, the Sky Drake Archpriest, Sun Liu, transformed into a Three-Headed Drake and led a group of drake transformed priests, followed by a large contingent of Elven Dragonhawk Riders and Orc Wyvern Riders. They initiated an attack against the gargoyle soldiers.
"The Demon King isn't here!"
Yan Qianjun spotted the Earth Drake Grand Marshals. He knew that there had been a time when some Heroes mistook the Diamond Earth Drake for the Dragon Demon King, leading to a series of mistakes rooted in underestimating the enemy's strength. Ridiculous, he thought. How could someone confuse even the Demon King? It was laughable that there were people who could make such an error. He would not fall for such foolishness.
Just then, a fierce wave of dragon fear swept over. In an instant, within its range, hundreds of gargoyle soldiers were stunned and plummeted from the air. Simultaneously, a bloody lightning was released, spreading into the midst of the gargoyle horde. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of targets were obliterated.
A massive black-scaled dragon emerged from the fortress, completely ignoring the spear attacks, and breathed forth a torrent of dragon flames. Wherever the flames touched, the gargoyle soldiers were reduced to ashes. These cursed insects were frail and vulnerable, barely withstanding a single strike, and their attacks were hardly a threat. Yet their overwhelming numbers posed a tremendous challenge for Long Yi.
Yan Qianjun was overjoyed. The true Dragon Demon King had appeared. The forces of the Demon King were tied down by the gargoyle soldiers. No one could disturb him anymore. He activated his spatial abilities and, along with the eight Guardian Knights, instantly teleported before Long Yi.
Long Yi immediately sensed the extraordinary strength of these individuals. They must be the masterminds behind this attack. "Die!" he roared as his dragon's breath howled forth.
The eight Grand Knights simultaneously activated their transformation skill: Guardian Golden Form. Eight colossal golden-armored giants stood up, swinging their super-sized greatswords in unison. In an instant, they intercepted the dragon flame, and a few slashes of Qi struck the dragon's body.
Boom! Several muffled sounds echoed, and a few scales were slightly damaged, yet the dragon was not severely harmed. Yan Qianjun's eyes gleamed with fanaticism and delight. Such formidable defense and strength! The renowned Chaos Forest Dragon King truly lived up to his reputation. To grow stronger, he had to defeat such powerful foes. Despite this Dragon King's strength, he was at best a pseudo Level 6 overlord, and the gap in strength between them was evident. Even relying on his racial advantage, he could not bridge the gap in combat power.
Moreover, Yan Qianjun was not alone. He was accompanied by the eight Guardian Knights, a formidable force capable of handling a Level 6 overlord unit together. He sneered, "Surrender to your fate. Under this situation, you have no chance of winning."
As he spoke, the eight Guardian Knights took action. The eight greatswords immediately formed a suppressive formation. The knights attacked and defended with perfect synchronization. Despite the opponent's formidable strength, they were evenly matched, holding their ground against the dragon.
Yan Qianjun exercised caution, observing for a while. Once he had a clear grasp of the opponent's strength and was absolutely certain, he intended to make his move, ending the battle in a single strike. The gargoyle soldiers were incredibly useful. Finishing the battle sooner could save on resources. In the future, he could use the same strategy to deal with other Demon Kings.
With a wave of Yan Qianjun's hands, the space above, below, left, and right of the dragon tore open, creating rifts from which countless glowing runic chains emerged, instantly binding the dragon.
"Shit!" Long Yi realized that this was an immensely powerful sealing skill. The moment he was ensnared by these magical chains, he felt his strength and stats plummeting drastically.
"Kill him!" Yan Qianjun commanded. The eight golden-armored giants raised their greatswords, preparing to strike the dragon. Even with formidable defense, under the suppression of this sealing magic, the dragon's defense would weaken significantly, making it vulnerable.
Under the simultaneous attack of the eight Grand Knights, this strike might not be enough to kill the dragon, but it would surely inflict severe damage.
However, in that fleeting moment, Yan Qianjun and the eight Guardian Knights suddenly felt an immense force sweeping over them, as if the sky and earth were collapsing. They were directly enveloped in another space. Simultaneously, countless tree roots burst from the ground. These roots immediately bound the eight Guardian Knights, and even around Yan Qianjun, numerous roots spread out and attempted to bind him, only to be blocked by a transparent shield.
[You're under the effect of "Domain of the Divine Tree." All stats have decreased by 10%. Skills below C rank are sealed.]
Yan Qianjun's expression changed. "Domain skill? A monarch!"
A figure descended from the sky and landed before them. It was an exquisitely beautiful elven girl who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. She held an ornate staff, exuding an authority that did not match her appearance and her presence emitted a powerful aura.
"An Elven King!"
The eight Guardian Knights were flabbergasted, and even Yan Qianjun found it hard to believe. There was an Elven King within the Chaos Forest? Such a significant revelation, and the Thunder Empire had no knowledge of it? Could it be that the Demon King was just a smokescreen? Was the true ruler of the Chaos Forest the Elven King? Just like Yan Qianjun had used the Gargoyle Demon King, he was not the only one who had thought of such a method.
Although the Demon Kings were terrifying and each possessed the potential to destroy the world, they were also valuable pawns. It logically made sense that the Elven King controlled the Demon Kings to establish the Chaos Federation and used them to unite the various forest races.
"Shit!"
"We managed to suppress the Demon King."
"But now a fucking Elven King appeared."
Yan Qianjun's expression grew grave. He had never faced a monarch-level opponent before. What was originally a sure victory had become uncertain due to the addition of the Elven King.
Meanwhile, within the Darkness City, Zhang Nu received a flurry of player notifications.
[You've slain a Gargoyle Soldier. Gold +10!]
[You've slain a Gargoyle Soldier. Gold +10!]
[You've slain a Gargoyle Soldier. Gold +10!]
[...]
In the blink of an eye, there were over several hundred thousand such notifications. These units were all evidently gargoyles!
Zhang Nu's first reaction was that it was absurd. Which Demon King had the luxury to summon so many low-level units? Could they afford to maintain them? Even if they could afford it, these units would not be able to create much value. However, compared to the quantity of gargoyles, Zhang Nu was more concerned about why so many of them had suddenly appeared in the Bloody Fortress.
"Better take a look!"
Zhang Nu immediately activated his title's privileges and teleported from the Darkness City directly to the Bloody Fortress. He immediately witnessed the staggering sight of countless gargoyle soldiers filling the sky. At the same time, he sensed several individuals with powerful auras engaged in battle.
So that's how it is. Using the abilities of a Demon King to create a sea of troops for horde tactics, huh?