The Misty Forest had completely transformed into a meat grinder. The mist, no longer a milky white, was now dyed a sickly red from fresh blood, lingering among the ancient trees like unpardoned wandering souls. The smell of rotting leaves and damp earth was completely overwhelmed by the thick, metallic stench of blood and the foul odor of entrails.
The battlefield was an indescribable mess. Three sides, three factions, were madly slaughtering one another in a chaotic melee devoid of order or allies.
The grunts of the Black Dragon Stronghold were the most miserable. They were caught dead in the middle. To their front was Ly Tin, a late-stage Qi Condensation realm general, his swordplay incomparably sharp and pragmatic. Every strike of his sword targeted the most vital spots, without a single wasted movement. To their rear and flanks were the frenzied Demonic Beasts. Demonic wolves, demonic boars, and demonic panthers, overstimulated by the Demonic Cores and fresh blood, had completely lost their minds; they lunged and tore at every living creature in sight. The Black Dragon Stronghold's formation had utterly collapsed. They had to fend off Ly Tin's sword light while simultaneously dealing with the fangs and claws of the vicious beasts. Miserable shrieks, the clanging of weapons, and the roaring of Demonic Beasts blended together, forming a symphony of Hell.
Ly Tin, despite being completely surrounded, remained exceedingly calm. He did not lust for battle, nor did he try to kill as many enemies as possible. He fought like a true general. His body moved continuously, utilizing the chaos of the Demonic Beasts as a shield. He did not clash head-on with the Serpent King, but focused solely on harassing and splitting the enemy formation, creating as much chaos as possible. He knew he was merely the "bait"; his mission was to draw attention and create an opening for the true concealed dagger.
The most powerful figure on the battlefield, the Serpent King, was currently the most enraged and helpless. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his strength far surpassing everyone present. But in such a chaotic battlefield, his personal power was restricted to the absolute maximum. He had to deal with Ly Tin's experienced, harassing sword strikes while continuously sending the mindless Demonic Beasts flying away.
"You beasts!" The Serpent King roared, the snake-headed staff in his hand swinging out to smash the head of an incoming demonic wolf. "Gather up, all of you! Kill that general first!"
But his commands, in such a chaotic scene, were of little use. His subordinates were struggling just to keep their lives against the vicious beasts; how could they possibly regroup?
And in a place no one noticed, on the highest branch of an ancient tree, hidden behind thick layers of leaves, a dark silhouette quietly observed it all.
Tran Kien.
Like an eagle circling in the sky, he coldly observed the battle of the wolves below. He was completely unaffected by the chaos or the stench of blood. In his mind, the entire battlefield appeared as a chessboard. Every enemy, every Demonic Beast, was a moving chess piece.
He was not in a hurry. He was waiting.
He knew the Serpent King was an old, monstrous python, incredibly cunning. Even though he was enraged, his Divine Sense was definitely still on high alert. If he made a move now, he would very likely be discovered and face a fatal counterattack. He needed an opportunity. A perfect opportunity that would only appear in the blink of an eye.
And that opportunity finally arrived.
From deep within the forest, an earth-shattering roar suddenly echoed out, carrying a terrifyingly powerful demonic aura. A massive black bear, over three zhang tall, its entire body covered in fur that stood on end like iron spikes, suddenly appeared. Its remaining single eye was bloodshot; clearly, it was the overlord of this region, drawn by the bloody battle.
The strength of this demonic bear was actually comparable to the peak of the Qi Condensation realm!
It did not attack the other beasts; its target was the one with the strongest aura on the battlefield: the Serpent King!
"ROAR!!!"
The demonic bear bellowed, its massive forelimbs, thick as pillars and carrying a terrifying gale, smashed directly toward the Serpent King's position.
"Beast courting death!" Seeing this, the Serpent King also roared in fury. He couldn't dodge, because at that exact moment, Ly Tin had also unleashed a viciously tricky sword strike. He could only choose to face it head-on!
The snake-headed staff in his hand erupted with black mist, transforming into a massive, venomous python that raised its head and lunged at the demonic bear.
"BOOOOM!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion rang out. Both the Serpent King and the demonic bear were forced back several steps. Neither was heavily injured, but in that exact moment of collision, all of the Serpent King's attention, his entire Divine Sense, was focused entirely on the demonic bear and Ly Tin.
His back, for a fraction of a millisecond, was completely exposed!
To others, this moment might have been missed.
But to Tran Kien, who had been waiting from the very beginning, this was a Heaven-sent opportunity!
At that instant, the dagger hidden in the shadows unleashed its fatal strike.
He didn't dive down. He remained in the tree. But the dull black saber in his hand had at some point been raised high. The very last thread of Primordial Qi in his body, along with his Saber Intent - Thousand Hammers, Hundred Refinements, was compressed to the absolute limit into the blade. He did not aim at the Serpent King.
He aimed at the snake-headed staff in his hand!
He had observed and analyzed. All of the Serpent King's poison arts and power came from this magical item. It was the "venomous fang" of the python. Break the fang, and the python, even if alive, would become a harmless snake.
"Saber Art - Sever!"
Tran Kien didn't shout. He only roared in his heart. He didn't throw the saber. He used all of his strength to unleash his "Saber Intent"!
An invisible but supremely condensed and razor-sharp thread of Saber Intent, carrying a tempered will to destroy all evil and demons, shot out from the blade, tearing through the mist, flying at an unimaginable speed!
The Serpent King, who had just repelled the demonic bear, suddenly felt a fatal danger approaching from behind. Horrified, he prepared to turn and defend.
But it was too late.
The invisible Saber Intent had arrived. It didn't strike his body. It slashed directly onto the snake-headed staff.
CLANG... CRACK!
A crisp, ear-piercing sound rang out. The black iron snake-headed staff, a mid-grade magical item, under the full-force strike of the Saber Intent, was cleaved cleanly in half! The iron snake atop the staff shattered into pieces.
"PFFT!!!"
With his lifebound magical item destroyed, the Serpent King felt as though a sledgehammer had smashed into his chest. He violently coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, the aura on his body instantly weakening by more than half. His venomous snake-like eyes stared at the broken staff in his hand, filled with disbelief and despair.
"My magical item..."
But the enemy would not give him time to grieve. The demonic bear roared, charging forward once more. Ly Tin also did not let this golden opportunity slip by; his sharp sword light enveloped the old man.
And Tran Kien, after unleashing that heaven-shaking strike, was completely exhausted. He leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily. But the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.
This game of chess had ended.
The decider of the chessboard was not the most powerful Chariot, nor the heavily guarded General. It was the insignificant Pawn, hidden in the shadows, that had crossed the river and quietly delivered a checkmate.