Five Spirit-ranked Immortal-Demon warriors intercepted the dwarven strongmen.
As soon as they appeared, a fierce melee of Spirit-ranked powerhouses ensued.
Each Immortal-Demon warrior fought two opponents yet held their ground.
The battle intensified, stirring up a spiritual energy storm that violently shook the very space.
Soon, dwarven strongmen bled, ruthlessly slain by the Immortal-Demon warriors. Their bodies, not yet fallen, were incinerated by golden or black flames.
Within the same rank, Immortal-Demon troops were invincible, even capable of challenging those of higher ranks.
How could these dwarves possibly be a match for the Immortal-Demon warriors?
The chaotic battle lasted barely a minute, and half the dwarven strongmen had already perished.
The difference in combat power between those of equal rank was too stark.
Another minute passed, and the remaining five dwarven strongmen were reduced to mere wisps of gas in the underground space.
Faced with Xiao Mo's Immortal-Demon warriors, they were like freshly lit sparks, extinguished before they could even flicker.
Witnessing this from the city walls, the dwarven king's face turned ashen.
He felt his entire heart tremble.
"National Teacher! If you don't appear now, the kingdom will truly fall!"
At this moment, he cast aside all pretense of royal dignity and cried out in despair.
As his words faded, a powerful, violent aura erupted from the royal city, soaring into the sky.
"Invaders of my dwarven kingdom shall be slain without mercy!"
Following this, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the dwarven royal city.
"Roar!"
Then, from a dark cave behind the royal palace, a dragon's cry was heard.
A colossal black dragon emerged from the cave.
Perched atop the dragon's head stood a gaunt old man.
Yet, the aura he exuded reached the peak of the Monarch rank, seemingly on the verge of ascending to the Saint rank at any moment.
"So it's the army of that Lord. They have indeed come!"
The old man, guiding the black dragon, flew above the city walls. He gazed at the brutal scene outside the royal city with a blank expression.
"Old National Teacher! You've finally appeared!"
Seeing the old man on the black dragon's head, the dwarven king exclaimed in delight.
This elderly dwarf atop the black dragon was the guardian deity of the dwarven kingdom, its National Teacher, the Grand Elder of the Council of Elders, and the most powerful being in the entire dwarven realm.
At the same time.
The black dragon slowly flapped its wings, yet the gust of wind it generated was immense.
Only then did everyone get a clear view of its full form.
Its appearance was, naturally, similar to Xiao Hei's, but its sheer size was astonishing.
If it stood on the ground, it would undoubtedly be mistaken for a mountain from afar.
Even the Blackblood Dragon Pythons seemed like mere babies in comparison.
Hovering in the sky, its lantern-like eyes cast a cold glance at Xiao Hei, then swept over the Black Snow Dragon Pythons.
Finally, its gaze settled upon the Immortal-Demon troops.
Like the old dwarven National Teacher, this black dragon was of Monarch rank, though only of mid-grade.
"Heh! Old man, it seems the kingdom you protect is about to be wiped out today! Tsk tsk…"
The black dragon's flippant and mocking tone completely shattered its previously cold and ruthless image.
It sounded like a ruffian, launching into an all-out mockery, utterly disregarding the dignity of the old National Teacher above its head.
The old National Teacher, hearing the dragon's words, stomped on a hollow on the center of its forehead.
A sharp pain shot through its entire body, causing the black dragon to curse incessantly.
"Ouch… Old geezer, you're hurting your dragon grandpa! One day, your dragon grandpa will skin you alive! You old bastard…"
The black dragon wanted to continue its tirade, but a glance at the old National Teacher raising his foot again made it quickly shut its mouth, becoming as quiet as a child.
Then, the old National Teacher surveyed the battlefield, his gaze quickly sweeping over each of the Immortal-Demon troops. He then said to the black dragon,
"If we join forces, perhaps by defeating these creatures emanating with otherworldly energy, the outcome of this war can be changed!"
The black dragon maintained its nonchalant demeanor.
"Why should I help you? It's not my kingdom!"
The old dwarven National Teacher lowered his eyelids and said expressionlessly, "My dwarven kingdom has supported you for nearly a thousand years. It's time for you to contribute!"
"Supported?"
Upon hearing this, the black dragon became furious, its breath coming in ragged gasps. "Is that support? You've merely kept me captive, enslaved me! You've enslaved the great Black Dragon King Aujin!"
The old dwarven National Teacher sneered dismissively.
"With your pathetic strength, you dare call yourself Black Dragon King? If my grandfather hadn't saved you and taken you in, you would have been devoured by your own kind long ago!"
"Black dragons may have a bad reputation, but I was willing to give you a chance and trust you once, which is why I propose we join forces! Otherwise, if my kingdom falls, you won't escape death!"
"I'll be damned…"
Black Dragon King Aujin was very displeased. He wanted to retort, but he knew very well that the old man was telling the truth.
Besides, he had been forced to sign a master-servant contract with the old man's grandfather years ago. If this generation of the old man willed it, they could kill him with a thought using the contract's power.
"I agree. After this war ends, if we both survive, I will grant you your freedom!"
The old dwarven National Teacher continued to sweeten the deal.
At this moment, the black dragon was greatly tempted, but still refused to yield verbally.
"Tsk! I don't believe you, you wicked old man! You're nothing but trouble. What you say might be retracted later! Especially with your greedy dwarven nature!"
"Don't worry! I swear by the Saint's Heavenly Tribulation, I will never go back on my word! However, you must also guarantee that after the master-servant contract is dissolved, you will never set foot in the dwarven kingdom's territory again!"
"Bah! This dirty, dark underground space, I'd rather die than come back!"
The black dragon looked at its surroundings with utter disdain, having long grown tired of them.
"Then show me your true strength and fight with all your might! I hope we both survive. I don't expect a glorious victory, just repelling the enemy is enough!"
The old dwarven National Teacher's gaze shifted to the Immortal-Demon troops on the battlefield, his expression growing solemn.
He had already sensed something amiss. It seemed these creatures, emanating with otherworldly energy, were not as simple as they appeared!
"Tch! The older you get, the more timid you become! They're just creatures from another world! Watch how this king tears them all to shreds!"
The black dragon still couldn't resist mocking the old National Teacher.
Then, with a roar, its colossal, mountain-like body plunged towards the Immortal-Demon troops, its eyes filled with killing intent, and even a hint of greed…