Reks's heart was bleeding. After finally trapping a celestial master and seemingly poised to take down the entire heavenly court, everything came undone. To this day, he still couldn't understand why Qin Feng wasn't caught within the blood sacrifice array—how could the situation have turned out this way if not for this very disturbance from Qin Feng? With gritted teeth, he asked his subordinates in an unwelcoming tone, "What now? Should we retreat or continue pressing the celestial forces?" Several royal-level demonic warriors had equally expected such a result. They could clearly hear the resentment in Reks's voice—had it not been for their own resistance, and had Reks personally engaged in battle, the outcome might have been entirely different. Yet, one bold warrior stepped forward and said, "Sire, at this point, whoever endures the longest will be the victor. Though the celestial's four masters have been rescued, our forces still hold a numerical advantage. We must not retreat—once we do, it will become a full-scale retreat. Not only will we lose our advantage, but we will surely suffer a defeat." "Reks barked, 'The Immortals have escaped safely—everyone in the Heavenly Court is now filled with renewed hope. But can we make it to the end?' 'Perhaps we won't make it, perhaps we will—it's still uncertain. But one thing is clear: retreat is a poor move.' 'I'm furious!' Reks couldn't think of a better strategy. Could they possibly try the Blood Sacrifice Array once again? After all, the Immortals aren't fools—they wouldn't fall twice in the same place. He said firmly, 'We'll consume the Blood Pool.' 'What?' His subordinates were stunned, all expressing strong opposition. 'The King cannot do this. The Blood Pool is our Magian race's sole foundation for revival. Once consumed, the outcome becomes a gamble. Should we fail, the Magians will have no chance at all.' Reks narrowed his eyes. 'This decision is final. No one need speak further. Anyone who dares to defy my command shall be executed.' 'I, Your Majesty, respectfully oppose this.' An elderly demon, with white hair and beard, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, you must not sacrifice our entire demon race's hopes for a fleeting victory. You cannot proceed alone—ah...!" *Puff!* The old demon's head shot straight up. Rex withdrew his long sword, his tone cold and firm. "I repeat: anyone who dares to disobey shall be executed without mercy." To set an example, everyone else lowered their heads, though many were reluctant in heart. On the celestial side, Emperors Yu, Haotian, and Zuiwei, along with Li Jing, who had been trapped for several hours, poured out their fury, expressing it fully and unreservedly toward their enemies. The celestial forces were now full of spirit, each warrior wielding their weapons with vigor, and their magical artifacts radiating brilliant light, cutting down demon lives. Emperor Yu beamed with excitement and flew to Qin Feng, saying, "Excellent work—this time, all thanks to you." "Hehe, stay calm, stay calm." "Qin少 smiled cheerfully, saying, "It's just like a blind cat running into a dead rat—pure luck. But, sir, in order to save all of you, many of our allies have had to lose their treasures. After this battle, you'll have to make good on that." The Jade Emperor waved his hand with great generosity, saying, "Don't worry. Every participant in this battle against the demonic forces will receive a reward. A few treasures? Really, we'll double the compensation." As he spoke, he glanced back at the Queen Mother of the West, asking cautiously, "Will that be acceptable?" Qin少 nearly tumbled off the cloud, thinking, How much more humble can you be? In front of all the immortals, you're asking your wife's permission—can you really push the idea of being afraid of your wife to its very limits? The Queen Mother is someone with a strong sense of大局. Noticing that her husband's actions are out of place, she said with serious demeanor, "Everything is at the Emperor's discretion. Awarding merit-based rewards is essential, and bestowing magical treasures is entirely reasonable. If necessary, we could even empty the heavenly treasury. Thanks to the united efforts of all the immortals, the heavenly court has not yet fallen to the demonic forces." With his wife's approval, the Jade Emperor felt confident and called out loudly, "All immortals, listen! Join me in defeating the demonic forces. After our victory, each of you shall be duly rewarded. Charge!" The morale surged once again—no one can deny that the truth 'when rewards are generous, brave warriors emerge' still holds true in the heavenly court. Qin Shao looked utterly puzzled, gesturing in one direction and asking the Heavenly Emperor, "Master, what do those people have in mind this time?" "The Emperor shook his head and said, 'I don't know either, but it seems clearly not a blood sacrifice array. The Magi-Emperor isn't a fool. Still, there's no doubt—it must be another plot. We'll just watch and see. Whatever schemes they come up with, we'll meet them with our forces—when the enemy comes, we'll stand ready; when the waters rise, we'll hold firm.' On the Magi side, several dozen royal-level warriors gathered around the blood pool, simultaneously releasing their magical energy. The thick blood began to bubble violently, as if boiling, emitting a foul, repulsive odor. 'Perhaps they're releasing a poison,' Li Jing called back, turning to his companions. 'You five, quickly check whether it's toxic gas.' Before the results came in, the elders, including the Supreme Old King, began distributing antidote pills. 'Report to the Commander,' one heavenly general said, 'this is not toxic gas.' Verified, there was no actual poison in the odor. The troops resumed their assault on the Magi forces with renewed confidence." Boom… A tremendous roar, the vast blood pool suddenly began contracting, shrinking at an astonishing pace—within mere moments, it reduced to a crimson bead no larger than three centimeters, radiating powerful energy. Rex rushed over, caught the bead in his hands, and his face turned crimson as he growled fiercely, "I, the Supreme Sovereign, am the mightiest being in the universe! The Jade Emperor and the Emperor of the Azure and Purple Heaven—both of you wait! I shall soon have the power to defeat you both!" With that, he swallowed the bead, and all the royal-level demonic beings around him looked on with admiration. On the heavenly side, the Emperor of the Azure and Purple Heaven's expression turned grave. He said solemnly, "Unfortunate! If I'm not mistaken, Rex has fully assimilated the blood pool." "What? Assimilated the blood pool?" The Jade Emperor was stunned. "That pool has been the very lifeblood of the demonic race—without it, even if the demons triumph, they still face inevitable extinction. Is Rex truly mad?" "The Emperor of the Heavenly Realm said, 'He hasn't gone mad—he's already swallowed the refined pearls. His strength will multiply tenfold within a short time. We'll have to fight hard to keep up.' 'Tenfold?' Even Qin Shao, accustomed to his laid-back demeanor, was stunned. How could they possibly hold their ground? 'I request to join the battle,' said the Queen Mother of the West. 'With our six and a half seasoned warriors united, we can still defeat Rex.' Then, without giving them the slightest courtesy, she turned and said, 'You! The one you're talking about—just barely counts as half a person—why are you looking around? You're the one, Yang Jian!'