The Annihilation Guild’s army of over 300 had already laid eyes on Qin Yu’s territory.

“Guild Master, that’s it. Their territory is linked to Elysian Haven,” a scout reported.

Kuang Lan’s lips curled into a faint smirk at the sight of Elysian Haven’s vine-woven structures. Divine fortune indeed.

His half-dragon troops specialized in dismantling plant-based fortifications—this would shorten the battle drastically.

“Have the half-dragon archers unleash a volley of fire arrows first. Then form a combat formation around the half-dragon mage…”

Kuang Lan’s plan was clear: burn through Qin Yu’s defenses, then let their sole Tier-4 dragonkin mage take point and carry the fight with overwhelming spells.

One mage was more than enough for a measly Tier-1 territory.

Inside the territory, Qin Yu’s young followers stood ready. Their fighting spirit burned fiercely—a resilience forged in the harsh trials of the Bloodsoul Domain, shielding them from the Blood Cathedral’s corruption.

“Hong, siege defense isn’t your strength. Your duty is to protect the others.”

Qin Yu saw great potential in Hong. With a little more maturity, she could stand beside Shikari as his trusted right hand.

“Yes, my lord!” Hong replied with solemn focus.

Outside, the Annihilation Guild’s half-dragon archers nocked their arrows.

“They’re attacking! Luna, activate your Moonlit Lantern—block their arrows!”

Only Luna could cast wide-area defensive magic; Silver Crimson Snow wielded offense alone.

“Watch closely!”

Beneath the soft azure glow of paper lanterns, the Moonlit Lantern’s domain shimmered brilliantly.

“Fire!”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Flaming arrows streaked toward the walls, igniting the vines. Fire spread rapidly—

—but the burning vines did not crumble. They transformed: damp, renewed tendrils surged forth, snuffing out every flame.

“Hehe~ With me here, this little fire’s nothing to worry about~”

As a tiny sprite, Nanafu guided the vines’ growth and adaptation with ease.

“Deploy decoys first—draw their fire.”

Sticking to plan, Qin Yu signaled his Bloodkin devotees. Over a hundred Blood Bats swarmed into the sky, diving toward the enemy ranks.

“Bats?! How?!” Kuang Lan froze. Intel said this territory fielded weak Church and Elysian Haven units—not Bloodkin power. Baffling.

Perfect for harassment, yet the half-dragon army countered hard.

The Tier-4 half-dragon mage exhaled a roaring cone of fire. The circling bats turned to ash in an instant.

“No matter what they summon, as long as our mage stands, we win.”

Kuang Lan’s heart swelled with pride. One Tier-4 mage unit could reshape battles. No wonder mages were called “daddy units”—truly earned.

“Half-dragon mages *are* top-tier… pity we only have one.”

Qin Yu’s next order: coordinated strike. Target high-value units—Tier-4 and Tier-3.

“Fifteen Tier-3s and one Tier-4? Not nearly enough.”

The Bloodkin devotees chanted in unison. A massive crimson sigil flared on the battlefield. From it emerged a colossal blood-red bat.

A Tier-5 Bloodthirsty Giant Bat—scaled down from Tier-6 to spare the children’s minds from trauma.

Screeeeeech!!!

Its ultrasonic shriek slammed into the Annihilation Guild ranks. Tier-1 and Tier-2 soldiers clutched their ears, deafened and disoriented.

“What *is* that?!”

Guild members stared in stunned disbelief.

“Damn, is this even balanced?!”

“Surface-level Elysian Haven… but secretly Bloodsoul Domain?”

“How?! Even other Bloodsoul Domain guilds don’t have this!”

…

This summoned entity was elite-tier Tier-6—normally requiring multiple casters to manifest, capable of clashing with Tier-7 crowned beasts. Even weakened to Tier-5, its presence was terrifying.

The bat swooped. Deafened troops instinctively raised shields.

A single wing sweep sent dozens of Tier-1 half-dragon infantry flying.

Another sweep halved their numbers. The bat devoured fallen Tier-3 corpses. Only six of the original fifteen remained.

The half-dragon mage was swiftly shielded by comrades.

“Guild Master, their strength exceeds expectations! Should we retreat?”

“Yeah! That bat came from nowhere—we fall back *now*, or we’re all dead!”

…

Morale shattered. Some members teleported away instantly. Kuang Lan’s chest tightened with seething rage.

He still lost to Tang Jihede. “This grudge is sealed between us!”

Unable to recall the entire army at once, he ordered a full retreat.

The Bloodthirsty Giant Bat’s mere appearance broke them. Qin Yu had expected more resistance. A shame—the bat’s full power never even surfaced.

After clearing the stragglers, Tang Jihede’s group stood speechless.

*That’s it?*

“Brother Yu is amazing! Defeating that jerk with just the kids~ So incredible!” Bingtang Xueli gushed, as usual. Qin Yu merely smiled—he was long used to it.

The giant bat dissolved into tiny bats and vanished. The children collapsed, utterly spent. Summoning it demanded Tier-3 or Tier-4 stamina to avoid mental strain.

“Leave the rest to the Amazonian Tribe sisters. Tang Jihede—remember, you owe me a favor.”

Qin Yu never worked for free. Coin or manpower. Your choice…