Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"Of course, after finding the Starlight Manor, this was my chance to cleanse my impure blood and become a Vajra Demon", he said. 

"A Vajra Demon?"

"A human like you wouldn't know, the Vajra Bloodline is one of the ten great bloodlines that boasts the greatest strength. Battle is where they thrive because of one thing, endurance."

Kong Zhi then widened his arms and revealed his body. 

"Despite all of the injuries I suffered, none of them lasted. Even a lost limb is recovered in mere seconds."

He smiled, showcasing the magnificence of his power. 

Du Xiu looked at him quietly, studying his body. Despite that that Kong Zhi showed, the commander showed no reaction to it. It was as if he was unimpressed by what he saw and that unnerved the demon.

"You will understand soon enough, Commander Du Xiu."

Kong Zhi's aura began to rise as he raised his warhammer, wielding it with three of his hands and pointed it at Du Xiu. The commander was silent but he took a stance, widening his legs as his glowing halberd axe went behind him. His other hand in front of him, palm facing his opponent. Flames began to emerge from his entire being before coalescing into a pillar of fire that he stood within.

"Understand? There is no need for that, not when this is the end." 

This was the point where the entire battle had grown still. Demons, Beasts, and Humans all watched this scene. That was the presence of an expert, the strength of two powerhouses, the skills of a veteran, all of this sought nothing more than to command the attention of everyone. Even in the skies, Ming Yue, the Matron, and her child watched from above. With everything in this battlefield frozen, the tense air and the thick smell of blood was all they had. Their hearts thumped quietly and yet, it was drumming in their minds. 

And then the ground shook for the sprout that Elder Shu left behind blossomed into a white peony. A second later, the ground erupted into a massive white tree, one that emanated a gentle green glow that soothed humans and beasts alike. In fact, it began to heal them, reinvigorate their bodies and take away their exhaustion. This was the elder's final act, Blossoming Life.  All of the beasts looked at the tree before crying out, mourning the loss of their guardian.

But Kong Zhi looked at it menacingly, he did not expect the fight to be this difficult but he was grateful as well.

"Call for the rest of the army."

Shi Hou looked at him with confusion as if he did not hear correctly. 

"Summon everyone, all one million of them, Shi Hou."

"But Lord Kong Zhi, what about the human fortresses, will we have enough strength?"

He looked at the Roaring King with fierce eyes.

"Four out of the five human commanders are here, If we kill them, the fortresses will fall easily. Now summon the rest of them!" Kong Zhi's voice shouted out. 

Shi Hou gave another glance before taking out a horn from his belt and blowing into it. A long five- second long blare resounded throughout hundreds of kilometers. 

"The signal! The Lord is summoning us! Come, men!"

In the horizon was the remainder of the million- man army, charging towards the forest. Compared to the force currently fighting, it was three or even four times larger. 

"Hmph, what you've seen is only a portion of my army. You might be strong but no living thing can defeat an army of this magnitude. It will be your loss, commander."

Du Xiu chuckled. 

"Is it now? Why would I need to fight a million men when I only need to kill you?"

The commander looked at him and leaned forward. His feet pressed down, leaving imprints on the ground as he lunged at Kong Zhi, swinging his burning halberd axe upwards. Flames flew outwards as an arc of fire formed from his attack. Kong Zhi swung down with his warhammer and the two warriors clashed. The ear-splitting clang of both weapons served as a signal for the two forces to charge.

Shi Hou then took command and began to bark out orders. 

"Our brothers are coming! Destroy that tree! Kill the beasts! Kill the humans!"

The demons chanted as they fought.

"KILL THE BEASTS! KILL THE HUMANS! KILL THE BEASTS! KILL THE HUMANS!"

With Du Xiu battling with Kong Zhi, Yu Zhen and Gao Ri took to command their respective armies. 

"Repel the Demons! Protect the Boundless Beast Forest!"

Yu Zhen of the Southern Tower, the only female commander among the five armies, was a middle- aged woman. Wearing leather armor and chainmail, she unwrapped her massive saber and brandished it in the air. Her dark blue hair flew widely as she led her soldiers forward. Unlike Nie Xia's or Du Xiu's army, there were many archers and spearmen who rushed forward and positioned themselves by Elder Shu's remains.

Taking their places, they shot volley after volley into the demons killing them by the hundreds. 

"Kill Kong Zhi's army! They are not your brethren anymore! These demons are not our kin! Treat them like your enemy! There is no mercy for they have given us none of that!"

Gao Ri especially shouted out at his small army of ten thousand, which comprised of demons, all of whom resisted Kong Zhi from the very beginning. He, himself, was of the winged demon race, his skin was of a pale blue as his four wings resembled that of a bird's. 

Rallying the various demons, all donning their own armors and unique weapons, he held a sword spear with both hands and flew off. 

They weren't particularly organized but they were united. This army of ten thousand featured all sorts of demons from the hundreds of different races. Every one of them activated their bloodlines as a collective explosion of aura burst out. 

They shouted together and followed Gao Ri attacking from the flank. 

Ming Yue watched from above, simply in awe of the sight. 

"This is..."

"A battle", said Matron Shuang, "This is a battle one where two armies collide."

Ming Yue was too focused on her battles to really witness the sheer scale of it. The view from above simply shocked her, hundreds upon thousands attacking, each person was like a small ant from where she watched. And as an observer, she saw the battle for what it truly was, a massacre on both sides. 

There was death and destruction everywhere she looked, bodies skewered with arrows or eviscerated by blades and claws. If she looked closely enough, Ming Yue would see the moments before someone's life was taken. She couldn't look away from it all. The smell of blood was so dense that even she could smell the metallic scent from above.

Then Ming Yue remembered something. 

"That horn..."

The one that signaled for the rest of the army to come, she felt some unease for the incoming forces. 

"It must be for reinforcements from Kong Zhi's side but what should I do now."

Indeed, Ming Yue was at a loss for words and didn't quite know what to do. She could fight but... was there more to be done? She then looked at the Matron.

"Matron Shuang, what will you do now?" she asked. 

The Matron was silent as she looked at her child, their eyes met at that moment and she answered. 

"We fight, this is our home after all. There is no option but to fight, will you do the same?" 

When met with the question, Ming Yue answered firmly. 

"Of course, I will fight but in something like this, I don't quite know where to start."

The Matron chuckled. 

"Have you ever fought while riding a dragon before?"