As millions below surged forward, the demon army's formation was thrown into disarray. Wan Lei and others, seeing the humans charging in around them, were both surprised and touched. Previously, they had been surrounded by demons; now, there were more humans.
"Haha, they are the people we are meant to protect. How can we stand by and watch them fight and die while we cower in fear?" Wan Lei laughed, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
Fang Xiaoyu, after a moment of silence, said, "Let's fight with all our might. After you put on the ring and kill all the demons, I'll help you take it off."
Wan Lei looked at the ring in his hand and put it back into his storage pouch. "I won't wear it. There are more humans than demons around now, and it's a free-for-all. If I unleash a big move, these humans will die too. Moreover, how can the power of the Demon Ring compare to the hearts and minds of tens of millions?"
"Brothers, keep charging, kill all these demons!" Wan Lei's true form, swinging his hammer with thunder crackling around him, charged back into the fray against the demons. Behind him were his comrades from the Thunderstorm Squad. Around them were fearless humans. In the distance, reinforcements were counter-attacking. With all humans united, how could they not win?
This was a chaotic melee in the truest sense. There were no formations, no tactics. Two races with a vast difference in height fought desperately to kill each other. The significant size difference of the enemy meant there were far fewer instances of friendly fire.
"Old Blackwind, if you can kill even one demon this time, I'll forget our past grievances!"
"I've already killed two. What about you, you useless punk? How many have you killed?"
"I used to look down on disciples from the major sects. Heh, I didn't expect them to actually have some skill and be even more fearless than I am."
"We used to look down on you rogue cultivators too. If you dare to charge, why shouldn't we!"
"Hahahahaha, I'm going to present a demon's head as a betrothal gift. Let's see if Lianyi's father dares to refuse the marriage then!"
"Get lost, you brat. I'm right here listening!"
Some laughed, others roared, some resolved past enmities and fought alongside former enemies, while others charged recklessly, using their frail bodies to shield their friends from the demons' fatal attacks.
Liu Tao's knife broke. He had just charged forward, and the blood of humans and demons around him splattered onto him, leaving him covered in red and green, utterly disheveled. He didn't care. Someone who had grown up scrambling in trash heaps, whose life was cheaper than a dog's, would he fear getting dirty? He raised his broken knife and roared as he hacked at the demon's calf. The knife broke, but the demon didn't even sustain a scratch. The demon lowered its head, saw Liu Tao holding the broken blade, its face contorted in ferocity, and punched downwards. The fist was larger than Liu Tao himself, carrying a world-destroying power as it smashed towards him.
Liu Tao knew he was doomed. He felt no fear, no urge to flee. He only regretted being too weak, that he couldn't kill a single demon before dying. Suddenly, just as the fist was about to crush him, a golden hand descended from above, grabbed the demon, and then, within the golden hand, the demon was squeezed into pulp. Green blood splashed all over Liu Tao.
Liu Tao grinned, his eyes filled with fervent worship. "It's you!" He had been watching this golden figure from below. He saw it charge left and right, killing demons as if plucking something from a bag. It was this golden figure that ignited the passion within him.
"Thank you!" Liu Tao yelled hoarsely. The golden figure looked down at him, then flashed with golden light, sending a long saber flying towards Liu Tao. Liu Tao dropped his broken knife, caught the flying saber, and was ecstatic. This war blade bestowed by the god of war was far superior to his own broken one! Now he didn't have to worry about his blade breaking. He wanted to thank the figure again, but the golden light had already sped off elsewhere.
Liu Tao raised the war blade and charged towards a demon being surrounded. He roared and leaped up, thrusting the saber into the demon's heart. The war blade cut through the demon's flesh as if slicing through tofu. "Hahaha, what a good blade, what a good blade!" Liu Tao roared with laughter and charged at other demons. His life had been spent enduring insults, humiliation, beatings, misunderstandings, betrayals, and scheming. He was tired, weary, and accustomed to it all.
This was the day the demons arrived to crush them. This was the day countless compatriots died. This was also the most exhilarating day for Liu Tao. There was no humiliation, no scheming, only exhilarating enemy slaying! Even death would have been worth it!
Unfortunately, he didn't die. After a day and a night of fighting, all the demons were wiped out. The greatest characteristic of the demon race was that no matter how disadvantageous the situation, no matter the defeat, not a single one would flee; they would fight to the death. This also saved Wan Lei and the others the trouble of pursuit.
The battle finally ended, with the ground around the capital piled high with corpses. Those who survived were assigned to claim the bodies of their comrades and kin, or to dig graves to bury the dead and cremate the demons. Liu Tao had no bodies to claim, no one he cared about. In the past, he would have already hidden in a corner to heal and laze around. But now, he wanted to do something he could do. He dragged a corpse with his left hand, holding his precious long saber in his right, and walked forward. Suddenly, two figures appeared before him. One was General Feng An. The other was a golden figure a hundred zhang tall.
Liu Tao quickly dropped the corpse and looked respectfully at the two before him. He wanted to salute but didn't know how to refer to himself or them. The golden light dissipated, and the figure returned to its normal human form, still clad in armor. Then, the armor also vanished, revealing the person's true appearance. He was a handsome young man, wearing a well-fitting sky-blue battle robe, with his hair tied in a high ponytail, smiling kindly at him.
At this moment, looking at the person before him, Liu Tao felt a pang of shame. This was someone from the high and mighty celestial realm, possessing immense combat power, like a god of war, and he was so clean, handsome, and dashing. In contrast, Liu Tao was of low cultivation, his life cheaper than a dog's, covered in blood, with shifty eyes and a slight hunch, looking like people from two different worlds. The difference was as vast as heaven and earth. What right did he have to stand before such a person? Oh, perhaps he was blocking their path.
"Is this the kid?" Wan Lei asked Feng An, his hands behind his back.
"It's him, indeed," Feng An nodded with a smile.
Liu Tao was bowing to go around them when he overheard their conversation, realizing for the first time that they were looking for him. Why would such a person be looking for a nobody like him? Oh, he remembered, it must be for this reason.