Chapter 165: A Chaotic Situation

"Take it, then."

To the god's surprise, a treasure like the Chaos Clock was not something he expected Zhou Tian to hand over easily. Therefore, while he had asked the question, the very act of leading Zhou Tian to a remote location meant that the deity had already harbored malicious intentions. If Zhou Tian refused, the god was fully prepared to take it by force.

Seeing Zhou Tian hand over the Chaos Clock so readily, the god momentarily froze. But once he snapped back to his senses, his movements were anything but sluggish. He hastily reached out and snatched the now-shrunken Chaos Clock from the air, gripping it tightly in his palm as if seizing plunder.

After toying with the Chaos Clock in his hand for a moment, the deity experienced an awkward realization: although he had successfully acquired the treasure, he had no earthly idea how to use it.

With no other choice, he glanced at Zhou Tian and reluctantly asked, "How... how do you use this thing?"

To have his item stolen and then be asked how to operate it—the god's reaction naturally ignited Zhou Tian's anger. Giving the deity a look of intense disgust, Zhou Tian replied coldly, "There is no secret technique. You just need to channel your energy into it."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Though he remained half-skeptical of Zhou Tian's words, the deity had no better alternatives at the moment. After a brief hesitation, he channeled his divine power straight into the Chaos Clock.

As the energy flowed inward, the Chaos Clock rapidly expanded. At first, seeing the artifact react filled the deity with excitement. However, this elation was short-lived; terror quickly seized him.

"Damn it! Why is my energy constantly flowing into this accursed thing? Tell me how to stop it, or I'll kill you!" The Chaos Clock was behaving like a vampire, continuously draining his power the moment his divine power entered it. It kept absorbing relentlessly until his divine strength had plummeted to less than half of its original level, showing no signs of stopping. Panic finally consumed the god.

"You wanted my item, so I gave it to you. You asked how to use it, and I told you. What more do you want?" Looking at the deity with an expression of utter innocence, Zhou Tian offered a brief defense before speaking again as if just remembering a crucial detail: "I almost forgot to tell you—the Chaos Clock is bound to its owner. When I, its master, use it, it only drains the energy from my own body. If someone who is not its master injects energy into it, well, given the Chaos Clock's appetite, I reckon it should be able to swallow the divine power of a dozen ordinary deities straight to the bone."

By the time Zhou Tian finished speaking, the deity finally understood that he had fallen into Zhou Tian's trap and been maliciously ambushed.

Gritting his teeth and finding himself entirely unable to break free from the clinging Chaos Clock, the deity struck out with a ruthless palm toward the bell. Clearly, unable to sever the artifact's drain on his divine power, he intended to smash the Chaos Clock to pieces with a single blow.

Seeing the deity's reaction, Zhou Tian hurriedly shouted, "Don't!"

Alas, Zhou Tian's warning fell on deaf ears. Having just been tricked by Zhou Tian, there was no way the deity would heed his advice. Instead, upon hearing the warning, the deity accelerated his movement, driving his palm downward to slam viciously against the body of the Chaos Clock.

*Clang!* As the palm struck, driven by the deity's own divine power, the Chaos Clock unleashed an indiscriminate shockwave in all directions.

Compared to Zhou Tian, the deity's divine power naturally drove the Chaos Clock's might to a much higher level. With just a single strike, the released power first consumed the deity who had foolishly activated it, perishing instantly beneath the very attack he had provoked.

The assault did not stop there. Having slain the deity, the terror of the Chaos Clock instantly radiated outward in all directions.

Zhou Tian remained completely unharmed; as the master of the Chaos Clock, he was arguably the only person immune to its devastation.

Apart from Zhou Tian, however, every single member of the church who had been cleaning up the aftermath was struck by the shockwave the moment it swept out, instantly reduced to piles of ash that vanished between heaven and earth.

"Audacious!" Such a massive commotion could hardly be concealed. Shortly after the Chaos Clock's attack subsided, several formidable auras swept across the scene, followed by multiple deities descending to hover in the void directly before Zhou Tian.

"What is the meaning of this?" Though they did not launch an immediate attack, the newly arrived deities clearly regarded Zhou Tian as the perpetrator of the blast, fixing him with interrogative glares. It was evident that if Zhou Tian's explanation failed to satisfy them, they would likely strike him down.

Shrugging casually as if nothing had happened, Zhou Tian looked straight at them and said, "Nothing much. One of your companions wanted to rob me of my treasure, but lacked the capability. Not only did he fail to subdue my artifact, but he also ended up dying from its backlash. As for the others who just died, they were mostly collateral damage from his actions."

Although the deity had indeed died as a result of Zhou Tian's deliberate scheme, every word Zhou Tian spoke from start to finish was entirely true. Sensing a lingering oddity, the deities possessed enough insight to recognize that Zhou Tian's account was entirely factual, leaving them with little grounds to press further.

Strongly robbing a follower's treasure in the mortal realm was an unglamorous deed under any circumstance. While such incidents were infrequent, they were not entirely unheard of. The real problem was the sheer incompetence: not only did he fail the robbery, but he lost his own life and slaughtered numerous church members in the process. Contemplating the fallout of this event, the arriving deities felt a throbbing ache in their temples.

Naturally, compared to the scandal itself, they found themselves far more captivated by the Chaos Clock.

They were already aware that the Nightmare Demon had tried to seize the Chaos Clock and had been stalled by Zhou Tian. Since a figure like the Nightmare Demon coveted it, it was only natural for their peer to harbor greed as well.

The outcome, however, had caught them completely off guard. They never expected their companion to lose his life over a failed robbery. This proved that the capabilities of the Chaos Clock were far more terrifying than they had imagined. Attempting to seize and wield it directly was not only unrealistic, but fraught with mortal peril.

Yet, even while fully aware of the bell's lethal danger, the thought of abandoning their covetous desire for the Chaos Clock never crossed their minds. So what if they couldn't use it themselves? If a regular deity couldn't manage it, a divine king certainly could. Even if they didn't keep it for personal use down the road, presenting it to their masters would still constitute a monumental achievement.

Therefore, once they understood the sequence of events and verified that Zhou Tian was not lying, these deities still had no intention of letting him go.

Without seeking Zhou Tian's permission, one of the deities reached out and grabbed the Chaos Clock. Giving Zhou Tian no room to speak, he flatly announced, "This artifact is far too dangerous; it has just slaughtered so many of our people. Regardless of the circumstances, this must be reported to the divine kings. As the weapon responsible, we shall temporarily take custody of it for safekeeping. Rest assured, once we verify your innocence, we will naturally return it to you."

Though that was what they claimed, Zhou Tian knew full well that based on the behavior of these deities, any item falling into their hands was a one-way trip. Once confiscated, they had no intention of ever giving it back.

At this, Zhou Tian merely narrowed his eyes and ultimately said nothing.

It wasn't that Zhou Tian feared these deities. While he couldn't defeat them in a head-on clash, he was confident in his high chances of escaping if he truly wished to flee.

However, escaping meant abandoning the need to guard against their subsequent retaliation. If they grew truly ruthless, Zhou Tian could save his own skin, but those close to him would likely perish at the hands of these deities.

If they wanted the Chaos Clock, Zhou Tian would simply let them have it. What did it matter if they took it? The Chaos Clock was an artifact of the Eastern Immortal and Buddhist lineage; in the hands of Eastern immortals, it could be readily claimed and mastered. Yet in the world Zhou Tian currently inhabited, aside from himself, not a single soul knew of the immortals' existence. Without knowledge of the immortals, they remained entirely ignorant of the artifact's true nature. Failing to comprehend the origin and mechanics of the Chaos Clock, no matter how powerful these gods and demons might be, they could never truly master it.

Even if the Chaos Clock fell into the hands of the divine kings, sparing them from being drained dry, using it would still reduce it to a suicidal weapon that struck friend and foe alike. A showpiece they could look at but not wield—to those divine kings, the Chaos Clock was nothing more than a tasteless chicken rib. Especially once Zhou Tian grew more powerful, whenever he fought the wielder of the Chaos Clock, as its true master, he could ambush them with it at any moment. Smiling coldly to himself over his lingering resentment toward the gods and demons, Zhou Tian offered no word of objection as the deities took it away.

Those deities had never once intended to consult Zhou Tian's opinion from the start. Having already made up their minds to take the Chaos Clock regardless of his reaction, they saw no reason to change course. Seeing that Zhou Tian offered no response, they wasted no breath, offering a few patronizing words before stowing the Chaos Clock away without a second thought.

Zhou Tian neither knew nor cared how those deities intended to handle the aftermath, having lost all desire to meddle further. With their tacit consent, he picked up the little divine tiger and hurried back to the capital...

The little divine tiger was utterly furious over the loss of the Chaos Clock, scratching Zhou Tian's face to ribbons on the way. If it weren't for the emotional bond they had forged, the tiger loved the Chaos Clock so desperately that it might have seriously considered biting Zhou Tian to death right then and there.

……………………

Perhaps feeling somewhat dishonorable for taking Zhou Tian's Chaos Clock and then framing him, or perhaps recognizing that pinning the blame on Zhou Tian would never be convincing to begin with, the deities ultimately deliberated for a long time after Zhou Tian's departure and decided to pin the casualties inflicted by the Chaos Clock squarely on the Demon race.

While this tactic successfully insulated the Divine Realm from the scandal, sparing them the reputation of slaughtering church members, it was not entirely without negative consequences.

The Demon race had paid a steep price to orchestrate the defection of a high-ranking church official, dealing a heavy blow to the various churches, denting their reputation, and blunting their momentum.

Now, without lifting a finger, an unconscious strike from the Chaos Clock had handed them a magnificent windfall. Saddled with this infamous deed, the Demon race's terrifying reputation across the continent soared even higher. While the mortals of the continent viewed the demons as increasingly formidable, many individuals began to harbor profound doubts regarding the church's strength.

If the church could let the demons slaughter so many people with such ease, were they truly a match for the demons? Perhaps, after suppressing the demon race for so long, the tide was finally turning in the demons' favor.

With these thoughts taking root, many who had long chafed under the church's hegemony secretly established contact with the Underworld. This represented far more than a mere blow to prestige; even the church's baseline military dominance was beginning to slip from their grasp.

The Divine Realm cared nothing for such trivialities. Affairs of the mortal realm were left entirely to the church; the gods lacked both the inclination and the energy to manage them. All they could do was contain the demonic gods, forbidding them from arbitrarily interfering in continental affairs while simultaneously keeping them thoroughly occupied.

Under such circumstances, lacking the backing of the Divine Realm, facing a surging Demon race while suffering heavy losses of their own, the church found itself struggling to maintain control. Within their claimed territories, rebellions began to erupt repeatedly.

Initially, out of caution and unsure whether their intelligence was accurate, the Underworld limited their actions to minor acts of sabotage. But when they discovered that the church could no longer suppress these small disturbances with their former instantaneous efficiency, the higher-ups of the Underworld realized the intelligence was likely true.

Knowing the church was genuinely troubled and severely weakened, the demons naturally refused to let such a prime counter-offensive opportunity slip through their fingers.

Almost the moment the information was verified, the Underworld launched full-scale operations targeting the church.

Suddenly, the Demon Moon Continent plunged into unending chaos. Either entire cities were overrun with throngs of demons, or new regions fell entirely under demonic control. Though the church fought desperately to suppress the rampaging demons, their depleted ranks meant they simply lacked the manpower.

Consequently, the territory controlled by the Underworld began to expand steadily. Eventually, unchecked by the church's failing suppression, they succeeded in occupying entire kingdoms outright.

Though the church occasionally launched counterattacks, under their joint suppression, such counter-offensives rarely sustained momentum for long.

This time, however, the demons held their ground. For months, no matter how the church mobilized, they failed to suppress the Underworld's offensive. In utter desperation, they were eventually forced to abandon the territories seized by the demons.

Originally, none of this had much to do with Zhou Tian. Though he belonged to the Church of Light, he had not only suffered marginalization within its ranks, but had also been robbed of his most prized treasure by visiting deities from the Divine Realm. At this point, Zhou Tian held zero affection for the church; whether the church or the Underworld held the upper hand elicited no particular emotion from him.

However, whether by design or coincidence, the faction subverted by the Underworld this time happened to include the northern expanse of the Yanhuang Empire. In other words, Li Jiahao, the northern lord of the Yanhuang Empire, had defected to the Underworld in exchange for demonic protection.

From Li Jiahao's perspective, this decision was likely his most advantageous move. He had been heavily suppressed by Wu Zhao, and dragging his feet any longer meant his elimination was merely a matter of time. Defecting to the demons carried massive risks, but under their protection—provided the church remained powerless to beat back the Underworld—Li Jiahao could leverage the Underworld's strength. Sheltered beneath their wings, not only could he preserve his life and authority, but he even stood a strong chance of carving out an even larger domain.

Compared to Li Jiahao, however, Zhou Tian's predicament grew rather awkward.

Communication between Zhou Tian's capital and the outside world relied on only two routes: one through the Magical Beast Forest, and the other through Li Jiahao's territory.

Leaving aside the Magical Beast Forest, where magical beasts roamed with high degrees of danger—forcing anyone relying on that path to stake their lives at a moment's notice—while some mercenaries viewed crossing the forest as trivial, ordinary travelers found it entirely impassable.

Previously, even when Li Jiahao betrayed the imperial family of the Yanhuang Empire, he dared not truly offend Zhou Tian, leaving the capital completely unaffected.

Now, however, the situation had changed. Zhou Tian's relationship with the Underworld was already poor, and coupled with Li Jiahao's involvement, Zhou Tian knew that if Li Jiahao had the capability, he would undoubtedly relish the chance to make Zhou Tian suffer. While an all-out assault on the capital might not materialize immediately, Li Jiahao would certainly seal off Zhou Tian's routes to the outside world.

Once those roads were sealed, maintaining communication with the outside world would become exceedingly difficult. To put it bluntly, Li Jiahao's maneuver would effectively cut off the capital from the rest of the world. While the teleportation arrays remained functional, the inability to move freely meant bulk supplies could no longer be transported in, and should any malfunction plague the arrays, the capital risked transforming into an isolated island overnight.

Undoubtedly, this scenario posed a grave disadvantage to Zhou Tian. Yet disadvantageous or not, there was little he could do. Facing the entire might of the Underworld, Zhou Tian possessed the Twelve Heavenly Godsfiend Array and felt confident in self-preservation. But if he took the initiative to strike outward, lacking the mobility to carry the array with him, he dared not guarantee his survival against the onslaught of the Underworld's powerhouses without its protection.

Especially since Zhou Tian had lost the Chaos Clock. With the Chaos Clock, he dared to fight a small number of divine-tier powerhouses. Without it, while he surpassed ordinary saint-tier practitioners and could handle certain demigods, facing true divine-tier experts stretched his current strength rather thin.

Lacking that absolute strength, Zhou Tian wisely chose to turtle up within the capital. Though this weakened the capital's sphere of influence, at the very least, his safety remained guaranteed so long as the Twelve Heavenly Godsfiend Array stood unbroken.

Yet this mindset of Zhou Tian's did not last long. The moment a letter was delivered into his hands, the capital was inevitably dragged back into the external strife.

"Damn it!" Zhou Tian slammed the letter in his hand onto the table with bitter resentment, pacing the room in mounting irritation.

Amidst the chaos engulfing the external world, Zhou Tian had never harbored ambitions of expansion; his sole focus was self-preservation, minimizing the attention he drew from others as much as possible.

Yet he still underestimated those people's vigilance. Even while he sat quietly doing nothing, his past exploits ensured that during a life-or-death struggle, no faction would ever overlook his formidable combat potential when calculating the board.

The Underworld's ambitions far exceeded Zhou Tian's imagination; they were far from satisfied with their current gains. Even having achieved unprecedented victories, the Demon race refused to rest. Driven by the objectives of seizing territory, spawning more demons, expanding their demographic base, and breeding more powerful demonic gods, the forces controlled by the Underworld naturally began launching aggressive offensives in all directions.

To say nothing of other regions, take Li Jiahao for instance.

Regardless of what plans Li Jiahao had harbored previously, once he defected to the Underworld, he could no longer defy its commands! Even if Li Jiahao lacked the appetite for further conflict, a single directive from the Underworld compelled him to launch an offensive against the remaining territories of the Yanhuang Empire.

In terms of public support and military strength, Li Jiahao still fell far short of Wu Zhao. But lacking baseline strength mattered little now that he had the backing of the Underworld; the high-end combat power at his disposal vastly outstripped his previous capabilities.

Previously, Li Jiahao could count the saint-tier experts under his command on one hand, maintaining ties with only a few demigods, while commanding them was entirely out of the question.

Now, fortified by the Underworld's reinforcements, Li Jiahao boasted squads of saint-tier demons, multiple demigod-tier powerhouses, and even divine-tier experts who, while not permanently stationed within his army, could be summoned at a moment's notice should the need arise.

Compared to his previous forces, the high-end combat power currently at Li Jiahao's disposal was so immense that even Wu Zhao could never hope to wield such strength.

Under such conditions, pointing the blade of his army directly at Wu Zhao, Li Jiahao swept forward conqueringly despite his weak foundation, rapidly carving out a brand-new domain.

Logically speaking, if the church wished to prevent the Underworld from expanding its territory further, they should have dispatched reinforcements to support the Yanhuang Empire. Even if they couldn't entirely block the Underworld's forces, such support would ease the pressure on the Yanhuang Empire, making it far harder for Li Jiahao to expand unchecked.

In reality, however, upon learning of Li Jiahao's movements, the Church of Light adopted a policy of utter indifference.

Though the Church of Light's situation was somewhat better than that of other churches, they had still lost vast numbers of personnel to the Chaos Clock's rampage. Afterward, responding to calls for aid from allied churches further drained their reserves, leaving the Church of Light's available manpower critically thin.

With manpower scarce, the church naturally wished to deploy their remaining forces exclusively where they were most needed.

While the Yanhuang Empire was indeed a vital region under the rule of the Church of Light, no matter its importance, if external forces could be leveraged to block Li Jiahao's offensive, they had no desire to squander their scarce resources on this front.

The underlying tensions between Zhou Tian and Wu Zhao were transparent enough for commoners to discern, let alone the Church of Light.

As Zhou Tian's relationship with the church deteriorated, they could no longer command him, even amid the Underworld's massive offensive. Even so, the church had no intention of letting Zhou Tian's military potential go to waste; since they could no longer order him directly, they would simply force him to act on his own accord.

Trouble elsewhere might leave Zhou Tian indifferent, but trouble concerning Wu Zhao was a button the high-ranking members of the church bet he would not ignore.

Knowing full well that Li Jiahao had deployed troops against the Yanhuang Empire, the Church of Light maintained a deliberate silence. While Wu Zhao initially held her ground, as the church's inaction persisted and internal agents leaked the high command's decision, she could no longer afford to wait.

The Church of Light could afford to gamble on this matter, but Wu Zhao could not.

If the Church of Light lost their gamble and Zhou Tian refused to intervene, they would merely forfeit the territory of a single empire. The losses would be heavy, but given the current state of affairs, the church no longer cared about such minor setbacks.

If Wu Zhao lost her gamble, however, lacking reinforcements, the Yanhuang Empire's defeat would become a foregone conclusion. Having invested so much blood and sweat into her empire, Wu Zhao was unwilling to abandon it so easily. Thus, even knowing the Church of Light sought to manipulate Zhou Tian, she was ultimately forced to dispatch a letter to him.

Upon learning the situation from Wu Zhao's letter, Zhou Tian felt a surge of rage, yet he was forced to admit that the Church of Light had struck his Achilles' heel.

He was unwilling to bleed for the Church of Light anymore, but he could not simply watch Wu Zhao fall to ruin. Knowing the church's manipulative agenda changed nothing; being utilized was preferable to watching Wu Zhao meet a tragic end. Standing by idly while Wu Zhao perished was something Zhou Tian could never bring himself to do. Therefore, upon receiving Wu Zhao's letter and understanding her plight, after cursing the church thoroughly, Zhou Tian had no choice but to take action.

Should he step forward personally to assist Wu Zhao?

In the past, Zhou Tian would have possessed that capability. But lacking the Chaos Clock, the majority of his combat potency had vanished. While he could expend spiritual energy to purchase another powerful artifact, Zhou Tian clearly had no intention of squandering his reserves in that manner. Consequently, the combat strength he represented became quite limited, making it an arduous task to repel the Underworld's powerhouses alone.

Though he wouldn't personally front the line against the Underworld's experts, lifting Wu Zhao's siege was hardly difficult for Zhou Tian.

Li Jiahao's invasion of the Yanhuang Empire was unlikely aimed at Wu Zhao's personal head; his true objective was undoubtedly the annexation of territory. Once his strategic intent was understood, lifting the pressure on Wu Zhao became simple.

The capital's geographical location possessed certain drawbacks, but it was not devoid of advantages.

Although the Magical Beast Forest had cut off the capital from the outside world after Li Jiahao severed the roads, this same geography meant Zhou Tian only needed to defend against magical beasts trying to breach the city walls, leaving Li Jiahao's faction as his sole external human threat.

As for the magical beasts, Zhou Tian had never needed to worry excessively. Leaving aside his amicable relations with the Snake King, Zhou Tian's own strength and status ensured that no magical beast tribe in the outer reaches of the forest dared to provoke him lightly.

Thus, relieved of rear-line anxieties, Zhou Tian was free to act as he pleased.

Since Li Jiahao sent troops to deal with Wu Zhao, Zhou Tian would send troops to deal with Li Jiahao. If Li Jiahao dared not recall his forces, Zhou Tian would hollow out his rear base; caught in a pincer attack, no matter how formidable Li Jiahao's current strength seemed, ultimate failure was guaranteed.

And should Li Jiahao choose to withdraw his forces, Zhou Tian's objective would be fully achieved. Once Wu Zhao was out of danger, Zhou Tian had no need to trouble himself with other matters. No matter how formidable the Underworld's strength proved to be, as long as the Twelve Heavenly Godsfiend Array remained standing, Zhou Tian harbored zero fear of any threat the Underworld posed. Even if the Underworld committed their entire elite force, relying on the sheer might of the array, Zhou Tian faced no real danger.

With a concrete plan in place, Zhou Tian sprang into action without delay...

With a single command, despite the lack of prior preparation, the capital surged into motion.

Trained daily, though actual combat experience remained scarce, the military forces of the capital rapidly mobilized upon receiving the decree.

Under Zhou Tian's personal command, the army marched swiftly toward Li Jiahao's domain...

The moment Zhou Tian made his move, Li Jiahao received the intelligence.

The relationship between Wu Zhao and Zhou Tian was no secret exclusive to the Church of Light; after Zhou Tian inadvertently disrupted his plans earlier, Li Jiahao had noted this intelligence. Though his primary target was Wu Zhao, Li Jiahao had long since prepared for a counter-strike from Zhou Tian. Thus, the moment Zhou Tian mobilized, Li Jiahao deployed his countermeasures accordingly.

Before his army had marched far from the capital—even before crossing the border zone shared by the capital and Li Jiahao's territory—Zhou Tian spotted the enemy forces looming in the distance.

"Prepared, are they?"

Though he discovered the enemy host, Zhou Tian showed little reaction. Given his connection to Wu Zhao, how could he fail to anticipate that others would prepare for his intervention?

Since he had anticipated it, encountering Li Jiahao's deployed army caused him zero surprise. Issuing prompt instructions, Zhou Tian directly steered his troops to intercept Li Jiahao's forces.

"Prepare yourselves! Charge!"

Wasting no breath on pleasantries, given their opposing stances, any further words were entirely superfluous. At Zhou Tian's command, the capital's army surged forward to slam straight into Li Jiahao's formation...

Zhou Tian's aggressive response clearly caught Li Jiahao's generals off guard. Even if they stood as enemies, shouldn't they exchange a few conventional pleasantries before striking? Instead, Zhou Tian opened fire the moment they laid eyes on each other, choking back whatever speeches the enemy commanders had prepared right in their throats.

"Kill!"

Frustrated as they were, since Zhou Tian had already ordered the charge, they could hardly stand idly by and take a beating. As the capital's troops bore down on them, Li Jiahao's army scrambled to launch a counterattack.

Within moments, guided by their respective commanders, the two armies collided violently.

Zhou Tian's side fielded fewer soldiers—not because Zhou Tian lacked the resources to maintain a larger force, but due to the capital's spatial constraints; he could hardly turn the entire capital into an armed fortress. Yet despite their smaller numbers, Zhou Tian's troops were elite; while not every soldier possessed towering cultivation, nearly all had successfully cultivated battle qi. Such caliber elevated Zhou Tian's entire rank and file to the standard of officers in ordinary armies.

Conversely, Li Jiahao's army boasted massive numbers—easily tenfold that of Zhou Tian's force—but lacked elite quality, functioning merely as a standard army corps under Li Jiahao's banner.

Despite being outnumbered, because the individual combat capability of Zhou Tian's soldiers vastly exceeded that of Li Jiahao's men, the scales of victory tipped toward Zhou Tian the moment blades clashed.

Li Jiahao's decision to defect to the Underworld had never won unanimous support among his subordinates. Had the Underworld not been surging in power while the church floundered, Li Jiahao's decree would have been violently overturned by his own officers.

Even now, while Li Jiahao maintained iron-fisted rule through fear of the Underworld's might, morale was fragmented. No matter what orders Li Jiahao issued, their effectiveness suffered unavoidable erosion.

Facing elite soldiers like Zhou Tian's, ordinary soldiers already labored under immense psychological pressure. Had competent commanders organized them, sustained morale, and instilled steadfast conviction, they might have leveraged numerical superiority to claim a sliver of hope.

Lacking conviction and weighed down by pressure, Li Jiahao's troops buckled immediately upon colliding with the capital's army, rapidly crumbling into a rout.

Seeing this outcome, Zhou Tian felt no surprise; he had anticipated this exact result when issuing the march order. Watching the enemy lines collapse, Zhou Tian leveraged his personal martial might to shatter whatever psychological defenses remained among the enemy soldiers.

Lacking the Chaos Clock, Zhou Tian still wielded the Heaven-Splitting Seal. While the Chaos Clock was superior, it was restricted to a single catastrophic burst; given Zhou Tian's current tier, the Heaven-Splitting Seal proved far more practical. Though its defensive utility lagged behind the Chaos Clock, its offensive power was more than sufficient.

When Zhou Tian hurled the Heaven-Splitting Seal, smashing it down toward the stubbornly resisting remnants of the enemy force, a thunderous roar echoed across the field, leaving a massive crater where the formation had stood.

Though the Heaven-Splitting Seal's output fell short of the Chaos Clock's devastation, its deterrent factor was equally potent. Witnessing Zhou Tian unleash such terrifying might, Li Jiahao's soldiers lost all will to fight. Forget the common soldiers; even several of Li Jiahao's generals turned tail and bolted at the forefront of the retreat.