Versatile Mage: Get the Desert Emperor clone at the start

Chapter 83: Escape and Survival

Old Xiu looked at the powerful Sandstorm Emperor in the distance and the shattered government defense line.

"Cough cough." Another mouthful of blood gushed out, staining the snow-white beard red.

At this moment, he had no other thoughts in his mind, only one persistent idea was burning in his mind: before his life burned out, he wanted to kill at least one more demon.

"Rumble--"

Thunderclouds gathered again, and dazzling lightning burst out around Xiu Lao.

This time the forbidden spell was even more violent than before. Countless electric snakes were moving in the clouds, as if they were going to tear the entire sky apart.

However, just as the thunder was about to strike—

"ridiculous."

The Sandstorm Emperor's contemptuous voice pierced through the thunderstorm.

A solid sandstorm barrier stretched across the sky, countless golden sands swirling at high speed, shattering the falling thunderbolts. Purple lightning and golden sands collided, erupting in a deafening roar, and the blinding light forced everyone to close their eyes.

When the light faded, the thunderclouds had dissipated, leaving only sand and gravel in the sky and the army of demons that continued to advance.

Xiu Lao raised his head, a trace of relief flashed in his bloodshot eyes...

……

When the last wisp of gun smoke dissipated in the blood-red setting sun, the demon army of the Sandstorm Emperor marched away from the conquered land with heavy steps.

Behind them, there was only a dead, empty city, broken walls, and corpses scattered all over the place.

At the largest gap in the city wall, half of General Tactics Army's body was crushed by a huge rock, leaving him with no chance of survival.

In the ruins of the central square, only a charred fragment of a robe trembled gently in the wind. On the hem of what had once belonged to Xiu Lao, a faint trace of purple lightning embroidery could still be seen—the final proof of the existence of the forbidden spell mage.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a bloody hue on the silent battlefield.

Several carrion vultures circled in the air, but were hesitant to land - there were still powerful fluctuations of thunder elements in the air, making these sensitive creatures feel uneasy.

In the distance, the Sandstorm Emperor looked back at the city that he had destroyed with his own hands. There was no joy of victory or pleasure of killing in his pupils, only bottomless indifference.

He then ordered the army to continue advancing.

This was the first time that the Shurima Empire revealed its terrifying power to the human kingdoms on the African continent.

And this was just the action of an emperor in the empire. There were more emperor-level powerful people in the Shurima Empire than just the Sandstorm Emperor. There were also ancient beings with even more powerful strength above him.

The destruction of Licheng was like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of all African countries.

What is even more suffocating is that the strength displayed by the Sandstorm Emperor in this battle is probably less than 50%, and people are still unclear about his specific abilities and racial characteristics.

When the news of leaving the city reached the Magic Castle in Cape of Good Hope, the entire meeting hall fell into deathly silence.

Although the mages present had already anticipated such an outcome, when the tragic battle report was actually presented before their eyes, the heavy feeling of oppression still made everyone's breathing hold.

The gray-robed elder—the Chief Archmage of the Demon Castle—slowly lowered the magical letter in his hand. A flicker of pain flashed across his deep eye sockets, and a hoarse voice broke the silence: "Master Xiu deserves to be remembered by all of us. He was a true military mage, standing at the forefront of the defense until his death."

In the corner of the hall, a female water mage covered her face and sobbed. Master Xiu had once taught her the secrets of elemental control. That old man, always stern but always smiling when his students made progress, was now nothing but the charred remains of his robes.

"But this... this is simply a fearless sacrifice!" A middle-aged, dark-faced wizard stood up and slammed his fist on the oak table. "According to intelligence, the demons are moving very slowly, and they have plenty of time to evacuate. If we had proactively withdrawn our defenses and abandoned the government fortress, this tragedy would never have happened!"

The middle-aged man sitting on the right also sighed. "The gap in strength between us humans and the demons is already enormous, not to mention that this time the invading forces are ancient beings from the depths of the Sahara. Furthermore, according to current intelligence, these demons are clearly not targeting us. They are heading south, most likely the Congo Basin. Licheng is right in their path."

"I believe that facing such a demonic army, it is more important to give up one or two cities, save the lives of the people, and accumulate strength. There is no need to make unnecessary sacrifices."

"Enough!" The gray-robed old man suddenly interrupted, "Master Xiu has fallen."

The hall fell silent again, with only the crackling of the fire in the fireplace to hear.

After a long moment, he rubbed his brows tiredly: "Pass the order down. Abandon Liro City and Morin Fortress, evacuate all the people. Open the southern corridor and let the monsters pass." His decision was considered as an agreement with the viewpoint raised by the middle-aged wizard.

"Let's adjourn the meeting." The gray-robed old man's voice sounded very tired.

The other mages rose and left in silence, their footsteps echoing in the stone corridor.

He stood alone at the window, looking at the surging waves hitting the cliffs of Cape of Good Hope in the distance, and the setting sun stretched his shadow very long.

As the chief wizard of the Cape of Good Hope Demon Castle, how could he not understand the truth behind this?

Humanity, facing those ancient demons, is like a small boat in a storm. Xiu Lao's sacrifice and the destruction of Licheng only serve to reaffirm this cruel truth: in the face of an absolute disparity in power, courage and faith can sometimes seem so pale.

Especially in Africa.

The power of the mages here is weaker than that of other continents, but there is still a powerful demon empire like the Sahara Desert here.

"Avoid the sharp edge in order to survive," the old man muttered to himself.

The windowpane reflected his haggard face. Once upon a time, he was a brilliant young man full of vigor and ambition, having reached the highest level of super-level cultivation at an early age and subsequently entered the realm of forbidden spells. But these were nothing compared to the Sahara Demon Empire.

He had to learn to maneuver in the cracks and find opportunities for survival by giving in.

As long as the demons are not heading directly for human cities, they must suppress all their anger and unwillingness and take the initiative to make way.

Just like the antelopes on the grassland, they try their best to avoid lions, wolves and leopards, and survive cautiously.
-
The snake-scorpion ancestor lurks deep in the swamps on the edge of the Congo Basin, its dark green vertical pupils flickering in the darkness.

Its scaly tail slapped the mud and water anxiously, and the venom splashed out, corroding the surrounding grass and trees with a sizzling sound.

The change in the situation made it feel uneasy - the surrender of the Snake Mother Medusa, the route of the Sandstorm Emperor's army, all of this was clearly aimed at it.

The ancient empire entrenched in the depths of the Sahara wanted to wipe them out.

"hiss"

The pupils of the snake-scorpion ancestor shrank into thin lines.

Time is running out, and it must make a decision quickly - either abandon the Congo Basin as its home and continue fleeing south, or...
(End of this chapter)