These were Legendary beings. People who had dominated entire eras and could destroy kingdoms easily. Even if they lost, they should have been able to retreat.

Yet still no one had appeared, and even the Emperor could not enjoy his own confidence now.

The Emperor's expression became increasingly ugly. His instincts screamed that something terrible had happened.

"Huh?"

The Demonic Supernatural suddenly appeared before him. The Emperor reacted a fraction too slowly.

A fist wrapped in endless black water smashed directly into his jaw. In the eyes of others it might have looked like nothing more than a large sphere of water surrounding the combatants, but the Emperor knew it carried the weight of an ocean.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

The gigantic serpent's head snapped sideways. Several scales exploded. Purple blood scattered across the void.

The Emperor immediately recovered. Unfortunately, the Demonic Supernatural had already launched another attack. A sea condensed around its arm once more.

"Demonic Abyss Crushing Tide."

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

The fist landed squarely against the Emperor's chest. This time dozens of scales shattered. The Emperor's enormous body shot backward like a meteor.

Visible anger immediately appeared on his face.

The Demonic Supernatural watched him silently. Then it spoke. "You are distracted."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed. He did not answer, but the other party was correct. He was distracted. Very distracted. The silence from the other battlefields was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

"Shut it and fight!"

The Emperor exploded forward again. This time his attacks became noticeably fiercer. Purple flames flooded the void. The Demonic Supernatural met every attack head-on. The two exchanged dozens of blows in seconds. Each collision shattered space.

Yet despite fighting at full strength, the Emperor's unease only continued growing.

Then suddenly, a strange fluctuation spread through the void.

The Emperor froze as he watched three figures rapidly making their way toward him through the darkness. Each figure looked like they had been through a war, yet each also carried a terrifying aura.

Though he did not know any of them individually, he recognized what they represented. And it was precisely because he recognized them that his heart shook.

If these three were here, then what had happened to their opponents?

The three figures were, of course, Michael and the two undead who had gathered together to deal with the Emperor. What Michael did not expect was that the moment they appeared, the Emperor would immediately retreat.

The gigantic serpent did not hesitate. Purple flames exploded throughout the void as the Emperor forcibly broke away from the Demonic Supernatural and shot toward the edge of the battlefield. The Demonic Supernatural immediately attempted to pursue.

Unfortunately, the Emperor was willing to pay any price. Several scales exploded from his body. His aura weakened slightly. Yet his speed increased dramatically. In a few breaths, he vanished into the distance.

Michael was stunned. "…He ran?"

Even Beginning paused briefly.

The current Beginning was no weaker than the two serpent ancestors fighting the High Drake. After absorbing the Scroll Sovereign and completing his rebirth, the aura he radiated had become terrifying. Even Michael had been surprised when they regrouped.

Facing a Demonic Supernatural, Michael, Lily, and the current Beginning simultaneously was enough to make any sane Legendary being reconsider their life choices. The Emperor had simply chosen the most practical option.

However, Michael's expression soon changed as he recalled his undead outside.

The Emperor froze as he watched three figures rapidly making their way toward him through the darkness. Each figure looked like they had been through a war, yet each also carried a terrifying aura.

The moment that thought appeared, anxiety rose in his heart. Aside from the undead he had been able to unsummon to the Netherworld through Undead Summoning, many others had forced their way out of the void after the battle began. If the Emperor targeted them, the result would be disastrous. A Rank 4 being could easily massacre many Rank 3 creatures. Even extraordinary undead would not last long.

Unfortunately, the void trap only seemed effective against outsiders. The Emperor himself appeared capable of leaving freely, which explained why he had escaped so quickly.

However, Michael was not particularly worried about leaving himself. With Beginning, Lily, and the Demonic Supernatural assisting him, breaking out of the void would not take long. The real concern was whether the Emperor would decide to vent his anger on the undead army before they could arrive.

"Move!"

Michael shot forward. Beginning followed immediately. Lily's gigantic figure tore through the void behind them while the Demonic Supernatural silently joined the pursuit.

The group crossed the second layer of the void at astonishing speed. A few seconds later, they burst out into the outside world.

Michael's eyes immediately swept across the battlefield. Then he froze.

"Huh?"

The sight before him completely caught him off guard. His undead were fine. Not only were they alive, they appeared completely untouched. The massive undead army still filled the skies and surrounding regions.

Instead, something else had happened. The capital was glowing. More specifically, it was the Imperial Palace. A gigantic dome of golden light had appeared over the entire palace grounds. Runes flowed across its surface. The light was so bright it illuminated half the capital.

Michael immediately recognized what it was. "A protection formation…" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

His expression became strange. Then finally he spoke.

"…Did the Emperor just lock himself inside his own palace?"

Even he found it difficult to believe. This was the ruler of the Black Serpent Empire. A Rank 4 existence. A being feared throughout the entire region. And now he was hiding behind a formation.

Michael's gaze shifted toward the glowing barrier. His eyes slowly narrowed.

If the Emperor was willing to retreat to this extent, then there were only a few possibilities. Either the formation possessed enough power to stop all of them, or the Emperor himself had already lost confidence in winning, or he was planning something.

Michael strongly suspected it was the second or third.

Far below, countless cultivators, soldiers, and nobles stared at the glowing palace. Many of them were equally stunned.

Meanwhile, high above the city, Michael slowly smiled.

If the Emperor thought hiding inside a formation would end this battle, then he was about to be very disappointed.