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Chapter 590: Bait And Switch

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Blu was very anxious after hearing the news. Samgha City was very close to Spider Fort. If they sent our reinforcement right now, they should be able to avert the crisis. Lord Xie Su had already promised him that as long as he could capture the human devil, he would put in a good word for him and promote him to the next level.

His status in the brood would be completely different once he could be promoted to level A blood kin. The dark ones' initial levels were determined at birth, same as the primitive Zergs. However, unlike the primitive Zergs who would be content with their inborn abilities, the dark ones had a restless heart that constantly sought more power and control. No one wanted to be just another dark one, and the Zerg race generally considered it a positive trait, as it motivated the dark ones to become stronger.

"Hehe, my lord, I don't think two people will be able to sack a city. This is the same ruse that they had used on Mephisto. The Samgha city is heavily guarded, and therefore, Wang Tong will not really attack it. Furthermore, if those two human warriors were really so powerful, how could they be detected so easily by our low-level scouts?" Candler explained, although he doubted that his words could get into those dark ones' three-inches-thick skulls.

Wang Tong was repeating an old game, and his real target was Fort Spider despite his feint on Samgha. Candlers had set his trap and made it look like the Fort was unguarded. While on a winning streak, the brash teenagers would not care to examine the grounds before they made a move. Wang Tong had picked his feint target wisely. The Samgha City was only a couple hundred kilometers away from the fort, and it hosted the key production plan for primitive Zergs. In other words, it did seem like a valid target.

However, Candler knew that Wang Tong would not do House Lie a favor. Plus, the defenders of the Samgha city didn't go to the front line; instead, they had been searching for Wang Tong around the city.

Even if Wang tong did choose to attack the City of Samgha, he would not be able to sack such a heavily guarded city anyway. As for the potential damage that would be done to the city, Candler couldn't care a wee bit about it.

He was an immortal, not a dark one, and his only mission was to subdue Wang Tong. Therefore, he calculated that regardless of the latter's decision, the situation would always play into the hands of the immortals.

After one day, no further reports about attacks on the Samgha city reached the Fort. Meanwhile, outside Samgha's city wall, a group of human warriors sneaked quietly through a secret opening on the wall. How did they pass the Zerg guards and constant surveillance?

The Zergs had set up cameras and patrol parties everywhere after the sacking of the four cities. Three hundred men and women were difficult to hide in plain sight; however, they had a special edge that helped them greatly. The Zerg meat they ate gave the soldiers a horrible odor, which worked marvelously in camouflaging themselves. This was not a coincidence, but Wang Tong's plan all along. Wang Tong had learned this life-saving skill while he was stranded on the remote planet of Norton.

As for girls who didn't eat the Zerg meat, since there were not a lot of them, they could hide in the middle of the marching formation safely.

The human soldiers' target had always been Samgha City. It was true that the Spider City was the center of the power in this district, but the human warriors weren't just after the large cities; they were also after the strategically significant ones, such as Samgha due to its primitive Zerg production capability. To put it simply, Wang Tong's tactic was to disrupt Zerg production capacities as much as he could. Once he had taken the fuel out of the Zerg war machine, the Zerg army at the frontline would run out of steam very soon.

When one was able to use the bait and switch tactic to the extreme, it would naturally become the bait and not a bait tactic. Wang Tong had calculated all the variables into his plan. He knew that the disturbance he had caused had caught the attention of the immortals. However, their absence from the battlefield meant that they were up to something such as laying a trap for him. In addition, the highest commander of the immortals on Mars had also arrived at the fort, and Wang Tong was very eager to meet him. He knew that the person who was able to gain the trust of Patroclus must be difficult to deal with.

"Boss, we have hit the jackpot! The Samgha city is the main production site of the area. I saw at least three queens in there, and the Zergs are everywhere!" Kong Jie announced as soon as he came back from the scouting mission. He was a young Templar who specialized at acrobatic skills. His quick hands and nimble legs made him the best ranger Wang Tong could ever hope to find. He also had a fast mind, and was able to deduce information about enemies based on seemingly irrelevant observations.

"Looks like none of these Zergs were planning to march to the frontlines. We need to make it a quick and swift victory."

"No problem! We have been going over the plan many times over!"

The city lord of the Samgha, C-Zhi also received the order to capture the human devil. In order to carry out the instructions, he pulled back the one hundred thousand primitive Zergs that he had sent to the frontline and ordered them to comb the area for any trace of the human soldiers.

There had been sightings of two human soldiers outside the city, and one of them could have been Wang Tong. However, the order from Fort Spider was to march his hundred thousand Zergs to the frontline and completely ignore the defense of the city. Blu made it clear that Wang Tong would not attack Samgha. C-Zhi was not overly concerned about Wang Tong to begin with; therefore, he gladly obeyed the order and was ready to start the march to the war. He always saw himself as the plant manager, and not a warrior. Therefore he was perfectly happy managing the business and letting the others do the fighting.

Suddenly, C-Zhi heard a few explosions outside. He looked outside the window and found out that the sky was raining fire.

It was the human attackers!

"I am Wang Tong. I need to see your city lord!"

"I am Wang Tong. I need to see your city lord!"

Wang Tong waved a bone spear he had snapped off a dark one and shouted. Since the shaft of the bone spear was too large and cumbersome, Wang Tong had cut the spearhead off and fixed it to a wooden pole, making it a perfect scythe-shaped weapon.

Wang Tong swept the scythe and harvested another dozen dark one's souls. He was very pleased with how easy it could slice a head off a shoulder.

Before he could shout out his name for the third time, C-Zhi charged out of his reticence with a retinue of golden dark ones. This was the first time C-Zhi had ever met a human who was so eager to see him.

"Are you the human devil everyone had been talking about?"

Wang Tong didn't mind his nickname. "Yes, I guess that is me. Well, if you lay down your weapon and shove your head into you're a*s and kill yourself, I might not kill you myself."

It took the dark one a while to get Wang Tong's dark humor, and they were not impressed at all. Zhi was the first to attack as he shot hundreds of bone shards at Wang Tong and then charged at his target.

Wang Tong didn't meet his attacker right away; instead, he charged up his GN shield to block the bone shards and then turned on his heels to run where he came from.

"Don't let him ran away!"

"Whoever kills the human devil, I will increase his rank. Charge!" Zhi shouted. This was also an order that came directly from the Dark Lord.

He was so close to capturing the human devil, and he couldn't bear the thought of letting him run away.

A swarm of Zergs was hot on Wang Tong's heel. Wang Tong looked back and saw the sea of monsters; he sighed and lamented at the incredible reproduction ability of the Zergs. Only one look at this endless nightmare would be able to quell most heroes' will to save the human world.

Wang Tong turned around and picked up speed. He couldn't afford to waste time, since his mission was to lure the Zergs as far as away from the city as possible.

Meanwhile, Yin Tianzong and Vorenus led a group of METAL soldiers and charged into the streets toward the queen. They needed to close in onto their target as soon as possible since, they had too few soldiers to be involved in a long fight.

Behind the METAL warriors, a massive fire dragon stormed through the city gate and into the heart of the city. Wang Tong and his companions had studied the city's layout carefully. Therefore, it only took the METAL warriors a few minutes to find out the hiding spot of the queen.

However, as they approached the queen, a large crowd of guards blocked their path. Although most of the Zergs had followed Wang Tong to the other side of the wall, these guards remained faithfully near their royal queen. As one of the most important production facilities, the queens in the city of Samgha were guarded by the most fearsome Zergs.

Suddenly, Yin Tianzong shouted, "Divine Burst! KILL!"

On his command, the human warriors initiated the divine burst tactics simultaneously. The gloves were off, and there were no more tricks to spare. The human warriors would only win this fight if they possessed true bravery and mettle.

Chapter 591: METAL Death Roar

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

After a few bare-knuckle rounds, the METAL warriors' formation loosened while Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu attacked with abandon. Although they couldn't cast high-level spells, their instant cast ability had proven to be very effective in dishing out consistent damage at a steady rate.

Mastery firebolts and ice bolts rained on the Zergs like a sudden downpour. The METAL warriors charged at the Zergs like hungry tigers out of a cage and attacked with the most direct, simple, and brutal methods. This was the moment of life or death; they could not be slowed down by technical finesse.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong lured the main force of the Zergs, running around the city wall. Underneath him, the Zergs blotted the ground; it had become more and more difficult to avoid fighting. Wang Tong's shirt was also drenched with Zerg blood. He had lost count of the Zergs he had to kill a while ago. He had to maintain a certain distance from the Zergs; if he ran too fast, the Zergs would lose interest and return the city, but if he were too slow, he would be mired in a long fight.

Wang Tong knew each and every kind of Zerg very well. He knew their strengths, weaknesses, attack moves, and attack habits. Even the fearsome EB unit had its weaknesses in his eyes.

In addition, he also possessed a deep understanding of the Zerg attack formations. While he was on Norton, he had remembered the formations and battle tactics by rot. Therefore, not even the EB units could manage to even make a scratch on him.

Lord Zhi had been worried that Wang Tong would manage to run off under his nose, but he was relieved after seeing that the latter had no intention of running away. Although Lord Zhi did not even have level twenty EB units under his command, he was confident that the sheer number of his soldiers would be able to tire the human out. The sea of the primitive Zergs was the epitome of the Zergs' ultimate power, and no human could stand against the Zerg sea and survive.

Suddenly, lord Zhi wrenched his head back toward the center of the city, and so did all the Zergs surrounding Wang Tong. The primitive Zergs turned around and rushed toward the mother queen. The Zergs' command chain dictated that the queen's order was above that of city lords.

The few dark ones who were chasing Wang Tong also halted their pursuit and turned their head toward the center of the city, and then back at Lord Zhi. Their heart told them to continue the chase, but their body commanded them to return to the queen.

Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that Yin Tianzong had succeeded, and only then could the real battle begin. Wang Tong charged up his GN force and bore down on the leader of his former pursuers; the scythe glinted under the sunlight, ready to claim souls.

The attack was sure and swift, and it came with a belligerent presence. This attack was specifically designed to strike fear into the hearts of the Zergs. The Zergs could feel the wrath of a god in the power of this one single strike.

Zing!

Wang Tong swept the Scythe, and the sharp glinting surface of the blade traced a silver crescent in the air. The leader of the dark ones was severed from his midsection into two. Lord Zhi neither joined the battle against Wang Tong nor did he go to the rescue of the queen; he simply bolted for his life. His personal guards, a few golden dark ones, however, had thrown themselves toward Wang Tong.

However, those couple dark ones' charges were not able to stop the human devil. Wang Tong clenched his weapon and then suddenly roared a battle cry. The sound of his roar started off as a rumbling thunder, and it quickly changed its pitch and intensity until it started to resemble a sound wave attack. The dark ones covered their ears, their faces awash with agony. The sound wave was scrambling their brains.

Since the dark ones had inherited the humans' five senses, Wang Tong wanted them to know that the five senses could provide not only enjoyment, but also pain.

Wang Tong's roar didn't stop as he carried on and increased the intensity by the second. Tormented by pain and delusion, some Zergs had fallen to the ground, rolling back and forth. Some had gone outright insane as they swung their bone spears wildly in the air and occasionally thrust them at their own brothers. They simply didn't know how to defend against such violation of their senses.

Humans' martial development had thousands of years of history; therefore, it developed an effective system to ward off such attacks. On the other hand, the dark ones were new to anything about humans, despite their close resemblance. There were simply too much to learn.

The sound continued, and by then, only a handful of high-level dark ones could fight off the discomfort and remain sane. However, they were mired in attacks from their raving companions, and therefore were unable to advance.

Some dark ones wanted to close in on Wang Tong; however, every step they took meant the intensity of the attack would increase exponentially. After only a few steps, their brains were already fried like an egg on a hot plate.

C-Zhi looked back at his perishing army, and after the slightest hesitation, he kept on running away from the city. He knew that only death awaited him in there. By then, he remembered all those rumors he had heard about the human devil. They were not rumors at all, and their descriptions about the devil seemed modest compared to what he just saw. In a blink, thousands of Zergs were dead, killed by their only brood brothers and sisters; the devil himself didn't even lift a finger.

The sound attack concluded in a high note that was packed with explosive energy. Blood spilled out from all holes on the Zerg bodies as they fell to the ground one after another.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yuyu and others had charged back out of the city after they had done away with the Zergs guarding the queens. Yin Tianzong and Vorenus remained in the city to keep the five queens in check according to the plan. Wang Tong knew that it was impossible to kill all the primitive Zergs in the city with only three hundred soldiers. Therefore, controlling the queens was his only option.

The battle inside the city had been intense but swift. After the queens were captured and their missions were completed, they charged right out of the city to help Wang Tong. Wang Tong had risked his life to distract the brunt of the Zerg forces; Xiao Yuyu couldn't bear the thought of anything terrible happening to him. He was the future of the human race, and should be protected at all cost.

But, when the reinforcement hurried to Wang Tong, they were shocked by what they saw.

On a hill of dead Zergs stood Wang Tong, the human devil. He was drenched in blood and holding the bloody scythe in both hands.

He was invincible!

Unable to hold back their admiration and joy, the soldiers cheered for his power at the top of their lungs.

After the human soldiers had finished off the remaining Zergs, Vorenus and Yin Tianzong finally pulled out of Samgha. They had detonated all five nukes in order to clear the city one more time. Although that was all the explosives the team had packed with them, after they saw that one of the five queens was two times the size as a normal queen, and was able to produce five times more eggs, they knew they had no other choice.

Everyone was satisfied with this rare find and felt that they had eliminated one of the Zerg's most important production facilities. As the mushroom cloud rose, the city of Samgha was razed to the ground.

…

This battle not only shocked the dark lord Moye, but had also greatly hampered his initial war plan. What was worse for the Zergs was that the news of the catastrophic defeat had spread so quickly that it had even reached the human side of the battleground on the said day.

At this most critical moment, the humans didn't need a god; instead, they needed a devil.

"Really? Is he still alive?" Wang Tung rushed into Aamir's office and asked. While Wang Tong was gone, Wang Tung had ironed out the last few wrinkles in the energy crystal gun technology. The final product had already gone through the last stage of quality check. Meanwhile, he was already involved in another research project that was related to an even more powerful weapon.

"Yes! And not only is he alive, but he has already destroyed five Zerg cities! Haha! Do you know what does it mean?" Aamir beamed from side to side.

"Balls! This kid is a bada*s! I am going to have a heart attack." Marcos exclaimed. His hand trembled in excitement as he struggled to light up a cigar.

"No wonder the Zergs' northern regiment had nearly stopped reinforcements. Who would think that only three hundred soldiers would be able to conquer cities guarded by thousands of Zergs? I have started to think that Wang Tong is not a man, but a god, or at least a demi-god."

"Haha, do you know what the dark ones call him? The devil! Haha! I also heard that the devil had gotten the dark lord riled up. He had ordered his soldiers to capture Wang Tong in ten days."

"Devil? How fitting! Haha…I don't think Moye will be able to capture him in the next ten years!"

"What great news! This is exactly what the soldiers at the front line needed to hear. We finally see some hope in this struggle."

Wang Tung puffed a cloud of smoke and shook his head, "Don't celebrate too early. The war is not over yet. Plus, none of us know what kind of sacrifice Wang Tong had to make to achieve this." After he finished his words, Wang Tung left the room without sparing the two captains a glance.

Chapter 592: A Bad Example

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Most people would only focus on the results and ignore the process. However, people inside of Maersa were friends and families of those three hundred soldiers. After they had heard the news, their first thought was not to celebrate, but ponder. What had the soldiers been eating without any supply for a month?

How many soldiers were still alive and How many were injured? How were they doing? How much longer could they keep on doing this for?

One question bode another.

"Balls! It seems like we are not working hard enough to catch up with Wang Tong. I am going to donate my retirement money to the war campaign."

"What? You have a retirement fund?"

Marcos looked embarrassed and said, "Not really."

"How do I know that? Haha!" Aamir laughed.

Everyone had contributed to the war, either offering money or labor.

Lie Jian and Michaux had already received the news about Wang Tong's victories. Samgha was the main production base for the Zergs, and had always been under the human force's radar as the main target for a counterattack. Despite the higher status of the dark ones in the Zerg community, the humans were less afraid of them on the battlefield due to their lack of numbers. It was the swarm that the humans were most afraid of.

In a month, five cities were razed to the ground, and all the queens in the cities were killed. Wang Tong's actions were incredibly effective in slowing down the reinforcements of the Zerg. The human commanders reacted quickly to the news as they pulled another battalion away from the northern line to the western line.

Wang Tong's move also spurred Lie Jian and Michaux to make up their mind and act immediately.

House Lie and the Divine Mastery Sect each had assembled 500 of the best soldiers under their command. They aimed to repeat Wang Tong's strategy and strike deep and hard into the heartland of the Zergs.

Meanwhile, all the Zerg lords sat sheepishly around a table, and at the end of the table sat a hulking frame. The imposing dark one looked as angry as the horn that grew out of his forehead. Beside Xie Su was Candler, the immortal who was responsible for the sacking of Samgha, at least in part. When he was cocksure that Wang Tong would follow his course and attack Spider Fort, the teenage boy and pulled the rug from under him and changed his plan. Moreover, the old immortal had not expected that the defense of the Samgha would be utterly annihilated so quickly either. The most fertile queens and the all the eggs that still hadn't hatched were all gone with the nuclear blasts.

The northern warden, Xie Su, had rushed back to the home base to clean up the mess. It was a shameful defeat, and his men's incompetency had jeopardized the plan of the dark lord.

Candler hung a faint smile on his face. Although he was in part responsible for the embarrassing situation, Xie Su would not openly blame a guest. Plus, there were too many variables; for example, no one would have thought that Samgha's defense would be so fragile. Therefore, no matter which way one looked at it, the real reason for the defeat was the weakness of the dark ones.

A cold and hard curve found Xie Su's lips. Not only had Wang Tong gotten away, but the setback had also negatively affected the overall development of the war, as well as the competition between the dark lord and Patroclus.

"Bring C-Zhi here. " Xie Su gave a command. He looked as imposing and calm as a powerful human warrior. Candler observed him attentively; as a Divine General, he was aware of the A-level blood kin's abilities. As the elite warriors, they had evolved to be the closest to the humans compared to other dark ones.

"Speak, what had happened?" Xie Su asked with a steady voice.

C-Zhi's wings quivered in the presence of the warden. The other dark ones looked at C-Zhi sheepishly, knowing that his fate was already sealed. C-Zhi hurried to explain what he had seen, and from time to time, he threw one or two hyperboles in his description of the human devil. He knew that if he didn't make the situation sound worse than it had been, he would almost be guaranteed to be executed.

C-Zhi spoke with an animated tone and gestures, trying his best to explain the dire situation. The lords of the other cities watched each other with surprise on their faces.

"You are saying that he came all by himself?"

"Yes, my lord. Only himself. He roared once, and somehow, the sound was able to kill thousands of our man. He roared again…and…and all the Zergs bolted back to the city." C-Zhi said sheepishly.

The other dark ones gasped. Wang Tong was the heir of the Blade Warrior. Was it possible that the history was going to repeat itself?

Everyone looked to Xie Su. Suddenly, the warden reached out his arm, which surged in length. His wiry fingers grouped C-Zhi's neck, and he twisted the latter's head off his shoulder with a snap. Xie Su launched himself forward and closed in onto the headless dark one. When he was close enough, he stuck out the bloody tongue and writhed it down C-Zhi's opening windpipe. In mere seconds, C-Zhi had turned into a husk.

The rest of the Zergs watched in fear and trepidation.

"Liar! Based on our reports, the human devil had led an army ten thousand strong. We should stop using our superstitions as the excuses for our oversight. We need to fight back, and this is the order from the dark lord." Xie Su announced in stone cold voice while the rest of the dark ones nodded timidly.

Candler laughed in his mind for the incompetency of the dark ones and the warden's ability to bluff. By giving the devil an army on the paper, his defeat suddenly seemed much less embarrassing.

Candler didn't put in his own opinion. He knew that Wang Tong had tricked everyone, but his explanation would only confuse these dimwitted dark ones. Even till this day, the Zergs still feared the Blade Warrior, even though he had already been dead for centuries.

After much discussion, everyone reached the consensus that the human devil was going to continue this course toward the dark lord's castle. Therefore, it was apparent that every dark one should do their part to protect their master and stop him at the periphery of the castle.

Candler made it clear to everyone that they would have his full support, since they were working toward the same goal. It was good news to the dark ones, since they believed that only the immortals were able to see through the ruses and ploys of the humans. After all, immortals were at least half human.

Despite the dark ones' apparent stupidity, Candler agreed with a couple of their conclusions. Wang Tong's target in this mission was definitely Moye's castle; therefore, the focus of the defense should be the three cities located in the corridors leading to the castle. This would be the northern warden's last chance of proving himself to his master. If he failed to protect the three cities, he might as well be dead.

However, it wasn't long until Wang Tong surprised his enemies again. He didn't attack Spider Fort, and neither did he head toward the dark castle.

Instead, he made a ninety-degree turn and moved in the northwest direction. In a couple of days, he was able to raze another two Zerg cities.

Obviously, Xie Su was furious. He had set defenses all along the way to the castle, but Wang Tong didn't rise to the bait at all. The efforts that Xie Su had made in planning the defense were all for naught.

Due to inadequate reinforcements, the human soldiers at the northern line were able to deliver a successful counterattack, which had greatly boosted the morale of the entire human force.

Wang Tong and his demon soldiers had made a name for themselves. His achievements had also completely changed the Martians' view on the Blade Warrior. Even the most patriotic Martian would have to agree that Blade Warrior was the most powerful human, even though he was from Earth.

Martians had always admired power and strength. Wang Tong had used his might and opened a path for the rest of the humans under the most miraculous circumstances.

Those soldiers serving under Wang Tong also quickly became household names.

Meanwhile, at the northwest corner of the battlefield, Zambrotta's forces attacked a Zerg occupied city with abandon. In the last couple of days, his forces had already liberated three human settlements. His army had just taken over their fourth target: Constantinople. The progress they had made was a drastic contrast to the headwinds all the other human forces had faced so far.

Despite the pressure at the frontline, Zergs could not afford to let Zambrotta hold Constantinople due to its significant geographical position.

Everyone knew that there would be a big fight ahead of them, but no one seemed to be worried about it as they prepared for the war with great enthusiasm.

Inside the city, the order had already been restored, and even some merchants had entered the city to set up their shops. Everything was sold at a rock-bottom price, since this was the merchants' way of contributing to the war.

Chapter 593: Yes, That Is Him!

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The pub was packed with human soldiers. Strong and hard liquors were always the warriors' best friend after all.

"Dore, I had killed two dark ones and seventy spider Zergs!"

"Yeah, right. You think I believe that?"

"Haha…How many did you kill?"

"Our team had gotten a thousand primitives, and twenty-eight dark ones. I have killed three dark ones, one more than you."

"Oh crap! Haha!"

"Only three dark ones? My captain had killed eight!"

"Yeah, yeah. You are from Zambrotta's elite unit. Why don't you compare with some other elite units?"

"Yea, that's right!"

"Bah, whatever! Let's drink up!"

The door suddenly opened up; the squeak of the door hinges was so loud that it could be heard even against the din of the rowdy soldiers. The newcomers paused for a second after seeing how packed it was in the bar. The owner closed in before they decided to leave. "Come on in. It's cold out there. A bit crowded today, but everyone is in a good mood. "

"This will do. Let everyone come in and relax a bit." The young man nodded and walked in with another dozen human warriors in tow.

No one had seen this group of newcomers before, so they attracted a lot of attention. The clamor in the room turned down a notch.

The new guests were young, and the few girls' goddess-like features had caught all soldiers' attention and silenced the room. No one was expecting to see such beauties in this squalid little joint. However, there was also something else about these girls and their companions that unnerved the soldiers: they looked threatening and sinister.

These soldiers were battle hardened warriors, and therefore, they were particularly sensitive to threats. Although some of them still had a smile on their faces, they tried hard to fight back their fear.

The bartender offered every young guest a shot.

"Yuyu, Yezi, you should have some to warm up."

The dozen young soldiers pour the drinks down their throat without any hesitation.

"How much?"

"Haha, no worries! Whatever you want to pay. Which unit are you guys from? I think you will need a new set of armors." The owner of the bar said.

By then, the rest of the soldiers finally noticed the dilapidated condition these young warrior's equipment was in. However, no one laughed at them since these METAL suits were covered with Zerg claw marks, some of which were terrifyingly long and deep. What had they gone through?

"Thank you! " Wang Tong put four blues on the table and started toward the exit.

A dozen warriors followed their leader and filed out of the threshold. Other than the young leader who had spoken once or twice to the bartender, none of them had spoken a word. When they left the bar, a cold gust blew in, but even that felt warmer than those strange young warriors.

"Who are they?"

"Yuyu, Ye Zi… Those names sounded so familiar."

The silence of sudden realization hung in the air for half a second as the soldiers remembered who they were. Those two girls were the field medics, and the group they were with was the demon war band that the Zergs were so afraid of!

They were the three hundred person group that had destroyed seven Zerg cities in just one month. And, the leader of the pack was the Wang Tong, the Devil.

At that moment, the manager of the bar rushed to the door while holding a portrait. There were two most popular portraits of everyone's living room walls. One was that of War God, the mysterious Einherjar, and the other of Wang Tong, the heir of the Blade Warrior.

The owner squinted his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the young leader, and then he looked back at the portrait. "Yes, yes, yes! That it him!"

Everyone stormed out of the bar, trying to see him for themselves. But, Wang Tong and his demons had already disappeared.

Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang had encountered some difficulties with provisions before they reached Constantinople. The had already more or less solved the issue with food. Despite its bad taste, the Zerg meat was enough to provide all the nutrients a soldier would need. After they had scavenged a nutrient pill machine, eating became much easier.

However, Wang Tong decided to buy more variety of food while he was in the city, since Constantinople would be their only chance of getting any food that was not gross.

Wang Tong's problem was not about food; it was about the METAL suits. After countless hours of intense battles, the METAL suits were severely damaged. Unless the soldier was a legendary warrior, they wouldn't be able to cast any GN shields, and therefore, their METAL suit would have to take the brunt of the Zergs' damage.

Wang Tong's operation had delivered a blow to the Zergs, but the Zergs had also put up a fight. After Wang Tong had destroyed Samgha, his actions really got under the dark lord's skin, so much so that the dark lord was willing to sacrifice the advantage at the front line in order to capture him. Therefore, Wang Tong and his band had found themselves constantly at war with Zergs' scouting parties since then.

Although Wang Tong was prepared for such belligerent counter offense, he needed time to reflect on his plan. The battle had arrived at a turning point, and from then on, their mission would only become more difficult by the day. Therefore, he had given everyone a day off to let them enjoy the last bit of respite they could have.

"Hamir will handle everything, so stop worrying about it. Let's take a look at what is going on over there. " Guan Dongyang said with a lighthearted smile.

"Cool! I didn't know that Zambrotta was such a motivator! Everyone looks spirited here."

"In the old times, a war drum was used for exactly that, encouraging and motivating the soldiers. Zambrotta is the lord of the War Drum Hall, remember?"

Cheers and ovations swelled from the central plaza of Constantinople. Many soldiers surrounded a stage. Despite the biting cold of the Martian winter, the onlookers looked jovial.

"What is going on?" Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang closed in as the clamor had piqued their interest. When they were close enough to see the stage, they saw two warriors fighting against each other.

One of the soldiers was in his thirties, and the crowd cheered after his every move. Wang Tong knew immediately that the older fighter was a legendary warrior. Many younger soldiers challenged him, but were unable to best him.

"His sword attack was just so-so. I wager he is not used to using a blade." Wang Tong remarked.

"Hehe…I think Brother Tianzong's sword and shield technique is more impressive as well." Guan Dongyang agreed. Having improved his power after so many battles, Guan Dongyang had also gained a keen insight into other soldier's abilities and magnitude of power.

All the caster learned from Guan Dongyang, while the METAL warriors learned from Vorenus. No one even dared to attempt copying any of Wang Tong's moves.

And when it came down to swordplay, Yin Tianzong was the master of the masters. He used a shied together with the blade to achieve an incredibly balanced fighting style.

"Hey, friends. You two must be from other bands. Do you know who he is?" A large frame spoke to Wang Tong. He was wearing a uniform with a large drum symbol on it. Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang gave each other a glance, and they both smiled.

"Indeed, we are from other units."

"He is our vice general, Xiao Libie, the third disciple of Lord Zambrotta himself. If you two think you can best him, why don't you give it a try yourself?"

"Hehe…Thanks, but no. We are here to rest." Guan Dongyang said as he waved in dismissal.

"If you two have something valuable we could all learn from, why don't you go up there and show it to us?"

All the soldiers around the stage were all under Xiao Libie's command, and therefore, they got riled up after hearing Wang Tong's disrespectful comment.

On the stage, another young soldier fell to the ground. Xiao Libie turned toward the audiences and saluted.

"Well Dongyang, you might as well go up there and try it out." Wang Tong suggested.

Guan Dongyang grimaced. "I am too tired."

"Aren't you always complaining about not having enough opportunity to learn? Here you go, a golden opportunity to learn from the best." Wang Tong turned around to the hulking soldier beside him and asked, "Is there any reward for winning the match? Say…food or something?"

"Of course, you can eat to your heart's content. Haha!"

Everyone around Wang Tong laughed knowingly. But, neither Wang Tong nor Guan Dongyang had picked up the deeper meaning in their laugh.

Chapter 594: Mastery Vs. METAL

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Very well then." Wang Tong patted Guan Dongyang's shoulder and said, "I told you there would be rewards."

Guan Dongyang shook his head helplessly. He should have been more careful while making friends.

On the stage, Xiao Libie waited for his next opponent with an inviting smile. Zambrotta had ordered him to host this competition in order to raise the soldiers' spirit and morale. The large difference in the levels meant the no one would be of a real challenge for him.

"Who else would like come up here and give it a try?" Xiao Libie asked. Seeing that all the soldiers' enthusiasm had been spent, he was about to call it a day.

"Hold on! Someone wants to join the match!"

Someone beside Wang Tong shouted out, and the announcement lit everyone's face up with glee. They were surprised to see that someone else was willing to rise to the challenge.

Xiao Libie was taken aback by the development. He had defeated all the top fighters under his command. Who else would challenge him?

The crowd made way for Guan Dongyang and Wang Tong. Before Guan Dongyang was about to step on to the stage, Wang Tong patted on his shoulder again. Somehow, Guan Dongyang felt that Wang Tong's smile looked like a chuckle.

"My lady, it's the same old. No one can defeat general Xiao. Maybe, you won't get married ever."

"Shuanger, no one is asking you for your opinion! This tournament was to inspire the soldiers…It has nothing to do with our lady's marriage. He had already defeated all the soldiers who were thirty-five and above. I doubt any younger ones can best him."

"Phf…Even our lady was able to defeat him. Men are useless."

"Oh? Who is that handsome? He doesn't look like a soldier though…Another cannon fodder, I guess."

"My lady, my lady?"

As soon as Guan Dongyang arrived at the stage, Xiao Libie could immediately feel the power coming off from this seemingly frail frame.

"How can I address you?"

Guan Dongyang mustered as much manliness in his voice as possible and then said, "You can call me brother Guan. I have heard that there will be a plentiful reward if I win, eh? I mean…plenty of food, right?"

Xiao Libie smiled faintly and replied, "Indeed. What kind of weapon would you prefer? But, I believe that you are a caster, aren't you?"

"General Xiao has good eyes. You don't think a caster will be worth your time?"

"Of course, you do, please!"

"Please…"

Xiao Libie pointed his long blade at Guan Dongyang. Based on his years of experience on the battlefield, he could tell that his opponent was not just any mastery caster. Close quarter combat was not the mastery caster's strong suit, but the cocksure expression on Mr. Guan's face made Xiao Libie wary. He wouldn't be able to inspire anybody if he was defeated on his own stage.

Guan Dongyang smiled knowingly and folded his hands. Suddenly flames burst out from the tips of his fingers. The sight had rendered every one quiet, and only Guan Dongyang's chanting of the spell could be heard.

Even the lowest level firebolt spell was not easy to pull off. The crowd watched in amazement as the fire danced on his fingers like farriers with fiery wings.

The key in mastering the spells was in controlling the flow of energy instead of the intensity.

Suddenly, Guan Dongyang flicked his ten fingers at once and sent ten firebolts at his opponent. These firebolts increased in speed as soon as they left Guan Dongyang's fingertips. In a blink, they had grown to the size of a bowling ball each.

Xie Libie's face hardened as he knew that he had met a tough opponent. He squeezed the handle of the blade once and channeled his soul energy into it. Instead of dodging the firebolts, he lashed out the blade and attacked the incoming missiles with a swift side arm sweep.

Bang, Bang, Bang!

Xiao Libie deflected the fireballs one after another; every strike carried an immense power that the other soldiers had never seen before.

Guan Dongyang unleashed a few dozen fireball attacks in an instant. Nevertheless, Xiao Libie not only stood his ground unwaveringly, but also sneaked in a couple of soul energy attacks at the caster. Right in front of these soldiers, the two warriors pitted against each other with extraordinary moves.

No one had ever seen a mastery caster stand face to face against a METAL warrior. It was simply unthinkable, particularity when the caster's opponent, General Xiao, was a legendary level veteran.

Soldiers could not tell who had gotten the upper hand. However, their expression seemed to have told a very different situation. In contrast to Guan Dongyang's seemingly casual smirk, Xiao Libie's face was hard as stone. There was something unique about Guan Dongyang's fireball attack. Instead of being deflected upon strike, they exploded right in Xiao Libie's face upon contact with the blade. Xiao Libie could avoid the damage from the fireball, but he could not avoid the splash damage from the explosion. In addition, General Xiao also registered that his opponent was a wielder of the wind element. Although the level of his wind element spell was low, he had used it with such absurdness that it made him look like a pro.

KOM!

Xiao Libie stepped back and gained some distance from his opponent as he charged up his soul energy and GN force. When he had gained enough room, he tightened his back and launched himself forward like a cannonball. This was an improved version of the belligerent dash technique, and it would render Guan Dongyang's fire spells useless.

However, Guan Dongyang didn't seem to have registered the danger as he cast another fire spell: Fire Drake! Seizing the opportunity, General Xiao unleashed the attack he had and roared, "Panorama Blade Sweep!"

The blade suddenly scintillated with a bright aura as it swept across the air to meet the fire drake. The soldiers cheered for their general, but didn't notice the cold smirk on Guan Dongyang's face. The fire drake was sliced into two as the momentum carried the two halves past Xiao Libie. However, these two fiery shapes didn't disappear; instead, they writhed their way back to each other and merged together anew. The head of the serpent turned around and opened its flaming mouth as it bit at general Xiao on the nape of his neck.

KOM!

The attack sent Xiao Libie reeling forward for a dozen feet. His soldiers were stunned by this development.

Wang Tong was amused by this drama. Xiao Libie was a solid warrior, but he was no match against Guan Dongyang by a long chalk. Not even Vorenus was confident in a fight against Guan Dongyang, much less a regular level twenty-two fighter.

However, Wang Tong conceded that Xiao Libie had done a good job so far, particularly when he was using a weapon he was not familiar with.

After the smoke on the stage had dissipated, Xiao Libie stood up with a genuine smile on his face. "What a powerful mastery spell! I bet there is only one person in the world who can master the fire spell to such degree, and his name is Guan Dongyang."

"I had heard that Brother Xiao's kopesh skill was also brilliant." Guan Dongyang smiled back. Xiao Libie had thrown away his blade and used his favorite weapon, the kopesh, a sickle-shaped hook.

As the best student of Zambrotta, Xiao Libie was famous for his kopesh skills on the battlefield. His personal weapon was designed and forged by Zambrotta himself. It had twenty-eight precisely placed holes on the back of the blade; their purpose was to modulate and amplify the energy during an attack.

It was particularly effective while fighting against the Zergs, and Xiao Libie kept it only for special occasions, such as this.

Xiao Libie reckoned that the fire drake had split into two not because of his strike, but was actively separated by Guan Dongyang to dodge his attack. Meanwhile, the fire drake was not able to even touch Xiao Libie, since its surprise attack was easily blocked by the kopesh.

"My lady! That is the fire lord Guan Dongyang!" Shuanger remarked excitedly. The entire plaza sizzled with surprise after they had learned the identity of the challenger.

Seeing the indifference in her lady's eyes, Shuanger scratched her head and murmured. "You don't think so? He seems to fit the description. Handsome, kind of cocky."

Brenda remarked lightly, "Yes, I believe that is him. But, where is the heir of the Blade Warrior? "

"The devil? Wang…Wang Tong? That…that devil who had killed thousands of dark ones is here?" Shuanger was shocked as she covered her mouth to suppress a gasp.

"My lady…are you…I mean…You won't fancy a murderous butcher, will you?" Shuanger asked as concern flashed in her eyes.

"He is a hero. Don't talk about him like that." Brenda rebutted.

Shuanger stuck her tongue out and made a face. "Fine, fine! As you wish my lady. He had killed so many Zergs that I wager he must look like a boorish brute. His portraits could be an overly romanticized image of him. I doubt he is good looking. Anyways, why do you think they are here? "

Brenda smiled faintly and said, "For supplies, perhaps?"

"What? Food?"

"METAL suits, more likely. Regardless of how powerful his men were, no METAL could last forever. Once the METAL suits were done for, the soldiers' lives would be at stake." Brenda said distractedly as she scanned the crowd for any sign of Wang Tong.

She found him, and he looked exactly the same as his portrait. As the crowd cheered for Guan Dongyang, Wang Tong turned around and smiled back at Brenda.

"Lie Xuan, your husband has just made himself the hotshot of the city." Wu Lin jested.

"Of course, my man is the best." Lie Xuan said with a smug smile.

"I am afraid that Wang Tong is behind all this. You need to watch out for that guy." Xiao Yuyu shook her head and said.

"What a jerk! He would rather impress the strangers than us girls working with him." Tan Jie complained.

"Touché! I don't think that princess Brenda is any prettier than our chief!"

Chapter 595: Entangled Fate

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The girls vented their complaints to each other. After a while, Ye Zi piped up, "I doubt they know what this match is all about."

"They would if they actually used what's on their shoulder instead of what's in between their legs!"

The girls talked casually with each other while they were not in a formal setting. Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi's infatuation for Wang Tong had long since been a public secret. The competition, if there were any, didn't distance the two; instead, they became even closer friends than before. Although they both knew that Wang Tong only cared for his first love, Ma Xiaoru, neither of them was willing to let go of their obsession for him. Thinking along the same lines, wasn't Wang Tong the same as them? He, too, was obsessed with a girl whom he would probably never meet again; she might as well be dead to him. But, he held onto his longing for her so tightly that it seemed as silly as Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi's infatuation for him.

Everyone knew that even if Wang Tong attended the match and won, he wouldn't accept the reward: Princess Brenda.

On the stage, the fight was still going on. Xiao Libie's kopesh skill had given him a significant edge in the fight. Not only was the attack power increased as a result, but the sound wave that came after the attack was difficult to predict and defend against. However, Guan Dongyang didn't waver; instead, he was very interested in General Xiao's technique.

After being pushed back a few times, Guan Dongyang flew himself into the air to gain some distance from his opponent. He cast an energy shield spell to ward off the secondary sound wave attacks. Once the energy shield was up, Guan Dongyang would unleash his full power on his opponent. Xiao Libie's aggressive attack had ignited his desire to overcome him.

General Xiao's power had also caught Wang Tong by surprise. While he marveled at the intensity of the kopesh attacks, Wang Tong was also amazed by the incredibly tricky sound wave attacks.

Xiao Libie was a renowned warrior, not because he was Zambrotta's favorite student, but more so because he was a truly solid and powerful warrior. He never expected to put in so much effort into this event. This was supposed to be another stroll in the park. However, Guan Dongyang's appearance had changed everything. The promise of defeating a legendary high-level warrior elated Xiao Libie as he kept on stepping up the game.

The battle quickly turned into a clash of two lethal warriors. As Guan Dongyang doubled down on his mastery attacks, his damage output was more than tripled. Guan Dongyang had grown his power so fast within the few months; his attacks were very close to being the exemplar of devastating power. Lacking in any form of physical damage, in order to win against a METAL warrior, a caster's only option was to increase the spell levels to break the METAL defense. Many spells at a higher level could outright ignore the effect of the METAL suits.

Meanwhile, Xiao Libie didn't allow his opponent to gain the upper hand as he cranked up his GN force. Guan Dongyang was the most powerful mastery caster he had seen so far. Not only did he find it impossible to get close to the latter, but he also noticed no flaws in his movement. It was as if Guan Dongyang was used to fighting against METAL warriors one on one.

Xiao Libie knew that the longer the battle last, the smaller his winning odds would become. However, since he was mired in the deadlock with his opponent, he could neither give up nor find a breakthrough. There was only one option left for him to break the circle: to raze the entire area to the ground using all of his remaining soul energy.

Suddenly, a relaxing music came out from afar, and the sounds untangled the two's knotted energy and threw them off balance, forcing the two to back away from each other.

"Guan Dongyang, you do worth your salt."

Brenda walked to the stage while wearing a full set of armor. Her hand carried her weapon called Cloud Pierce, a magical flute.

Guan Dongyang needed no introduction as the girl's exquisite beauty had disclosed her identity. Although she was the same age as the Divine Goddess Susu, Brenda projected an image of a strong-willed and steadfast heroine. She had a pair of long and elegant legs, and her eyes were dreamy, with the gleaming desire for a real hero in her life.

"Thank you for the compliment. Since I couldn't best your champion, I guess I will just leave the stage now." Guan Dongyang put in.

"Wait a second." Xiao Libie shouted.

"What is it?"

"This match was held in the name of our lady. Anyone who can gain my approval will be allowed to ask for our lady's hand. You have just passed your test." Xiao Libie said with a smile.

Guan Dongyang was shaken by the announcement. He might as well be dead if Li Xuan knew about it.

"Umm…Thank you, but…I mean…I thought the reward was only food. I only need food. It wasn't me who wanted to join the match either, it was my friend." Guan Dongyang quickly threw Wang Tong under the bus.

"You mean Wang Tong, the devil? Would you please come up here, Wang Tong?" Xiao Libie turned to the audiences and asked loudly.

Wang Tong, the Devil!

It was a popular name on Mars, not because Wang Tong was the heir of the Blade Warrior—Martians never cared about titles—but because of his achievements, which spoke loudly of his power. After all, Martians were suckers for the mighty and powerful. He quickly had become the most popular idol of the Martians. Who would not be impressed by the human teenager after knowing what he had done? He had led a three hundred person army deep into the Zerg territory and was able to deal a blow so devastating to the Zergs that it nearly crippled the Zerg invasion.

Even the combined might of the two most powerful martian heroes, Michaux and Li Jian, paled under comparison. Plus, unlike Michaux and Lei Jian, who had a home advantage, Wang Tong had to start from scratch when he first landed on Mars. Yet, he was capable of accomplishing deeds that neither of the two could even dream of, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies.

Wang Tong's achievement was unprecedented. In the past, the Zergs might have been interested in Wang Tong because he was a powerful human warrior. But since a few weeks ago, the Zergs wanted Wang Tong dead because they were afraid of him.

But, where was Wang Tong now?

Brenda surveyed the crowd and noticed that Wang Tong had already disappeared. She smiled faintly as she wondered what had motivated this mysterious warrior. Didn't he fight for fame and money? She could give him all of those if he showed himself. Or, maybe he simply didn't care about any of those worldly possessions.

Wang Tong was gone, but Guan Dongyang had to stay. The city invited him to stay at a resort hotel, and offered him round the clock food service—just the way he wanted, so said his host. Guan Dongyang knew it was not wise to refuse the "hospitality," so he accepted the invitation unwillingly. He made a mental note to not trust Wang Tong ever again while he waited for rescue.

Brenda waited patiently for Wang Tong; she knew he would come back for his friend who was under house arrest.

The first time she saw Wang Tong was at the audience's seat during the tournament five years ago. She didn't join the tournament as a fighter, because her father's defeat had taken the wind out of her entire family. When the tournament started, she simply was not ready to face another competition yet. That being said, she went to every fight to observe and learn.

At that time, she only considered Michaux and Patroclus the best fighters of her age, due to their exceptional inborn talents. Although Li Shiming and Lie Jian both possessed solid skills, their inferior talent had hindered their advancement. However, when she saw Wang Tong's first match, she knew she was wrong.

Wang Tong's talent was average at best. However, he was able to defeat Patroclus. Wang Tong's victory had completely changed Brenda's view on cultivation. The world didn't give Brenda too many opportunities to study Wang Tong, as he was killed soon after the tournament during the seminal event that had ushered in an age of chaos.

It was obvious why Patroclus killed Wang Tong as soon as he became an immortal. He was the only person who had been a threat to Patroclus.

During the first five years, Brenda was one of the very few people who could feel the life force of Wang Tong. Perhaps their fates were tangled together, and they just didn't know it yet!

When she saw Wang Tong in the audience yesterday, her heart skipped a beat, and without much thinking, she realized that she wanted him.

Chapter 596: Through The Danger Zone

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

What did the man sound like? What would he say?

Brenda had never been so happy before; it wasn't elation, it was blissful mirth.

Unconsciously, she closed her eyes and started to enjoy this moment. She knew that when she opened her eyes again, he would be there; and he was.

Brenda and Wang Tong smiled at each other knowingly. They didn't know each other, but they were already soulmates.

Neither of them spoke. Brenda poured some water into an eggshell porcelain teacup and offered it to Wang Tong, who downed the contents in a gulp.

Although this was not the proper way of appreciating tea, it was precisely what Brenda had expected from him.

Even though this was the first time the two had met, they felt like they were long lost, friends. They were so many things to be shared between the two of them, yet they didn't even need to speak a word with each other. Every glance was a story, and every intentional pause in motion a laugh.

A normal morning tea session would take no more than ten minutes, but Wang Tong was with Brenda for the entire morning. Time seemed to have lost its meaning in the blissful silence.

Then Wang Tong left, without saying a thing to Brenda.

Tears poured out of Brenda's eyes. If Wang Tong wanted, she would follow him for the rest of her life. She had found her soulmate, and the joy of being understood was beyond words.

But…

"Wang Tong, you are a jerk. Do you know that? She must be heartbroken." Guan Dongyang complained. Wang Tong was a hero of the people, but a cruel meaner to the girls who liked him. He had to avert his eyes when he saw Brenda's beautiful face awash with sorrow.

Among the warriors of the Battle Wolf, only Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi understood how Brenda felt. Although Brenda was not any prettier than Xiao Yuyu, there was a different, friendly demeanor she carried with her. It made a man hard to hold back the urge of staying with her and protecting her. However, Wang Tong was able to ignore that pleading gaze.

The girls felt indignant, and they wondered if Ma Xiaoru was really prettier than all of them.

Wang Tong smiled and then said, "We don't need to sacrifice any more good soldiers." Wang Tong knew that the mysterious connection between him and Brenda was due to their soul essence. Although Brenda's soul essence was still in its early stage, Wang Tong's was already fully grown and matured. When they first met, Brenda's younger soul essence was naturally attracted to the more mature and stronger one in Wang Tong. In an inexplicable way, the two soul essences were able to nurture a relationship slowly, which explained Brenda's seemingly feverish infatuation. Wang Tong conceded that Brenda was a nice girl; however, he didn't have to date all the nice girls in the world.

"Balls! So, you feel very comfortable sacrificing our lives?"

"Haha, of course! You are my bro."

"Haha, fine! Wang Tong, I will follow you to hell!"

The soldiers of Battle Wolf laughed as aspirations to achieve greatness rose in them. Life was short, and everyone needed to use every precious moment to make a positive impact on the world. Xiao Yuyu watched Wang Tong with unswerving faith. She had changed; no longer was she a fragile and privileged flower living in an ivory tower. There and then, she felt that she was a true heroine, saving the world as she had always dreamed to.

"Hi everyone! I wonder if I can join you?" Someone caught up with Wang Tong's group and asked. "Brother Guan, I had enjoyed our fight. I wonder if we can carry on our competition and see who will kill the most Zergs?" Xiao Libie smiled at Guan Dongyang earnestly.

Guan Dongyang shot the older warrior a glance and said, "You? If you try hard enough, we might consider it."

"Haha, of course, I will try hard. I am hard right now if you want to try me." Xiao Libie shot Guan Dongyang back with a lewd dad joke, and it worked.

"Brother Xiao, welcome to the Try-Me-When-I'm-Hard band! Haha! " Wang Tong reached out for a handshake. After that, the small retinue of fewer than three hundred men and women embarked on their journey toward the direction where the sun was setting.

…

The effect of losing seven Zerg Cities was palpable at the frontlines. However, its damage to Moye's overall plan was limited. Of all the cities that had been destroyed in the northern area, only the sacking of Samgha and Mephisto really mattered. Although Wang Tong had made a name for himself, his achievement was not enough to significantly hinder the Zergs' advancement.

When Wang Tong and his retinue was in the city of Constantinople, great news came from the middle and western sections of the Zerg territory. Lie Jian and Michaux had each led their own troops into the Zerg's territory and sacked a city.

"Copycat!"

"Mission like ours is a double-edged sword. If we succeed, we would be able to devastate the Zergs, but our mission could also go astray very quickly. When that happens, we are putting the lives of elite soldiers in danger and causing irreversible harm to the human resistance. Lie Jian and Michaux both commanded over two thousand elite soldiers. If they get caught in a real war, the consequence would be catastrophic." Yin Tianzong said warily. He didn't think it was a smart move for Lie Jian and Michaux to copy Wang Tong's strategy at such a scale. Loss of two thousand elite units would be a devastating blow to the human resistance. As a matter of fact, he felt even three hundred soldiers were too many to lose.

"We don't have time to worry about others' business. I hope they had prepared well. Wang Tong, look here. This is the Mount Dynamo…In Martian's dialect, it means 'Soul-freezing'. Are you sure you want to take this route?" Guan Dongyang asked.

"Yeah, think about it, boss! Before the war started, I was in an expedition crew exploring Mount Dynamo. We had scaled to the highest point that humans had ever reached. But guess what? We were still at its foothill." Lun Duo put in.

Wang Tong was an earthling, and therefore, he wouldn't appreciate the cultural significance of Mount Dynamo. The horror stories about the place were high tales at best. However, as he surveyed the map, he realized that there might be some truth in those stories. Mount Dynamo was much taller than the tallest peak on earth, and the environment at such a high altitude was foreboding.

"Tianzong, what do you think of it?" Wang Tong asked his fellow earthling companion.

Yin Tianzong paused to think about it, then said, "It could be difficult."

"What choice do we have? Head back? The Zergs know we are here, and they are ready. We would be lucky if half of us made it back to the wasteland. I second Wang Tong's plan of scaling Mount Dynamo." Xiao Yuyu announced firmly.

"Once we pass Mount Dynamo, we will be right in the heart of Zerg territory. There are many valuable cities we can attack, and we will be able to directly threaten the headquarters of the dark lord."

"I agree. The Zergs wouldn't expect us to take this mountain passage, and we could attack them while they are unprepared."

"Very well! Let's get ready for the climb then! We will head out tomorrow."

"Gods be good that there won't be any blizzard."

"Everyone, if you persist on climbing the mountain, I have some suggestion for you." Xiao Libie put in.

"Have you made it to the other side of the mountain before?"

"Me? Hell no! No one has climbed Mount Dynamo ever. I was born in the town at the foothills, and conquering Mount Dynamo had been my father's greatest passion. He knew the mountain well and showed me a few routes to reach the mount from the foothills. However, once we are close to the peak, we will be on our own. The peak was called the Forbidden Zone. It was an area under a constant low-pressure blizzard, and no equipment would work in that storm. However, I think we should give it a try."

Everyone knew that in order to achieve what they came here for, they could only press forward.

Two days later, the group reached the foot of the dark mountain, and were ready for the assent. Many local residents had urged them to give up their idea because in their minds, scaling the sacred mountain would call down the wrath of gods. However, after they learned that the soldiers needed to get past the mountain to attack the Zergs, they all started to offer their help and tips.

The soldiers breezed through the first few hundred kilometers. Despite the drastic change in temperature, they protected themselves using GN force. By nightfall, they have already reached the halfway point. They found a clearing and made camp for the night; the GN shield had been taxing on the warriors' system.

The mastery casters seemed to be in a rougher shape than METAL warriors due to their weaker GN force. The elements had also taken a toll on their body.

In order to alleviate the situation, Wang Tong paired casters with METAL warriors so that they both could look after each other while climbing.

Chapter 597: Sigh Of The Ice Seal

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong, Yin Tianzong, and Vorenus led the way at the front while the rest of the warriors followed them. Although traveling in pairs had helped the mastery casters, they were only able to travel one-fifth of the distance they had yesterday.

Overall, the first two days had been uneventful. However, the real challenge quickly came up on the third day.

After passing the midway point of the mountain, the temperature dropped below twenty, and it stormed constantly. The mountain path was covered with snow on top of slippery ice, forcing the speed of the ascent to a minimum. Under these treacherous conditions, the Mastery casters wouldn't last more than an hour without the help of METAL warriors. Luckily, their METAL warrior partners protected them as if they were newborn babies.

The group conceded that they were down on their luck as the weather grew worse by the second. The flurry snow blotted the view, and they had to reduce their speed even further. When the blizzard subsided briefly, the soldiers found themselves in a world of whiteness. They didn't have time to appreciate the vista, since another blizzard was already on its way. Holding on to the guide cable, the group pressed forward slowly but surely.

Wang Tong and Xiao Libie were ahead of the group, scouting for possible routes, while Yin Tianzong and Vorenus controlled the speed at the head. This place was a land of icy demons; even a legendary warrior would be engulfed by the elements easily, leave alone ordinary soldiers.

"Wang Tong, looks like we have to slow down and wait out the blizzard. Our men won't last long while being exposed to the elements."

"Time is of the essence. We cannot stop! This is not the time to stop yet."

Wang Tong extended his arm to feel the howling wind and reckoned that this was not the worst yet. If they slowed down right now, they would never get to the other side in time. They were racing against the time.

"This is too dangerous."

"We are already dead, Brother Xiao. Just tell me if this is the road we should take." Wang Tong's voice held an unswerving faith. Some might say he was inconsiderate for his own soldiers' wellbeing, but what choice did he have?

"We are on the right path!"

It wasn't until then that Xiao Libie had truly felt and understood the determination in Wang Tong and his soldiers. It required more than just bravery for Wang Tong to order the soldiers to press onward.

One would not fully comprehend the terror of Mount Dynamo until facing it himself. The environment was unforgiving, and none of the modern day equipment would work past the middle point. The natural forces here were wild and untamed; they could devour any weak souls that dared to tamper with it. The closer they got to the peak, the less Mastery casters dared to draw any forces from the environment. Even Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu had refrained from tapping into the web of energy around them due to its hostile nature.

No one knew what had made the natural force so dangerous here, just like no one could fully explain what the natural forces were. There were still many things to learn about nature, but this was not the time to learn. The human soldiers had only one goal, and that was to cross the mountain range. Xiao Libie was the guide, but Wang Tong was the real leader of the march. Although Xiao Libie had never fought with Wang Tong on a stage, he knew that the latter was much more powerful than him. Not only did he still have abundant soul energy to help others, but the determination and steadfastness were unmatched by any leader Xiao Libie had seen. It was as if no difficulties, regardless of how big they were, would be able to change Wang Tong's course. How did he achieve such iron will?

Xiao Libie didn't have the answer to those questions. However, he reckoned that as long as he followed Wang Tong, he would prevail, even if the latter's plan sounded like suicide.

"We need to go on for another 5 kilometers. Can you guys do it?" Wang Tong asked.

"Piece of cake!"

"Don't you worry about us!" The soldiers shouted back at Wang Tong.

Xiao Libie could tell that their voice was genuine, and he marveled at the perseverance of Wang Tong's retinue. They weren't just saying it to please Wang Tong; they really meant it.

"Keep your wits about and watch your step! Captains, please do a head count. Let's move! Move! We can do it!" Tan Bu shouted at the top of his lungs, trying as hard as he could to let his voice pierce through the howling wind, but it barely worked.

"MOVE!" Wang Tong shouted. Enhanced by soul energy, his voice reached every soldier and gave them a boost of confidence.

Everyone shouted back at Wang Tong with their unwavering determination. They gritted their teeth and pressed forward with a newfound enthusiasm. Yin Tianzong soon passed Wang Tong with the soldiers in tow.

Wang Tong slowed down to check on his soldiers.

"Don't you worry about me! I am fine!" Guan Dongyang refused Lie Xuan's help. Although physique and endurance were not his strong suit, the fire lord was not going to be slowed down by a couple of storms.

Wang Tong let the soldiers pass him as he offered his encouragement to each and every one of them. He knew that words were unnecessary, so he simply patted on the shoulders of each passing warrior, which was enough to reignite the will to battle their hearts.

As the retinue started to gain more speed, the head of the group suddenly stopped as a wave of clangs and clanks could be heard amidst the roaring gale. A new front of the blizzard attacked the soldiers with tennis ball seized hails with thorny spikes.

"Defend yourself! "

Everyone cranked up their GN force to ward off the assault; in a blink, the three hundred soldiers were engulfed with whiteness. Compared to the blizzard, the Zergs' attack seemed modest. The hail grew in size as the center of the storm approached closer to the soldiers. If the warriors didn't have their defensive shield up, the hailstones could have pieced through their METAL and into their flesh.

The METAL warriors reacted quickly and shielded their mastery caster partners with their body. In the middle of the METAL warriors stood Yin Tianzong. He raised his war shield high above his head, trying to cover as many spaces as he could.

However, after a few minutes, the blizzard still ravaged on without any sign of slowing down. Some of the METAL warriors were already near their limits.

Seeing this, Wang Tong launched himself to the sky toward the center of the storm; he knew that it didn't do anything soon, his soldiers would not make it.

Suddenly, a golden light shone through a crack in the dark clouds. Wang Tong opened up his sea of consciousness and attempted to connect his soul energy with the raging blizzard.

Xiao Yuyu and Guan Dongyang could only stare at him with fear and stress; this was suicide. The energy in this area was feral, and was able to render even the most powerful mastery caster into derangement.

Wang Tong opened his arm slowly and let the golden energy pour out of his system. The golden flow melted anything it touched as it slowly took over the storm.

In such a ravaging storm, the only thing that could protect him was soul essence.

Suddenly, a gush of wild energy rammed into his system as pain shot through his body. However, Wang Tong didn't flinch. He had gone through enough torment in his life; this was nothing.

The soul essence—sigh of the ice seal!

In front of the team, a giant blue wall appeared out of nowhere. Wang Tong's hair stood upright like a field of golden ginger corn; some loose strands tossed around by the current of energy around him.

The blue ice wall grew in size, soon reaching sixty meters in height. The blizzard bombarded the stony surface of the wall, but it stood unwaveringly.

Xiao Libie's mouth gaped wide open as he stared at the incredible sight. This was not a mastery spell; it was a miracle.

Guan Dongyang patted on Xiao Libie's shoulder and said, "You will get used to it. Wang Tong is not an ordinary human, and Mount Dynamo will not stop us."

Wang Tong landed back to the ground, his face looking paler than before. However, determination still glinted in his eyes. "We will rest for now, and will start once the storm is over."

"Roger!"

On the boundless mountain range, Wang Tong built his warriors a cozy shelter. Everyone knew that this would be their last respite before they made it to the top. So, they hurried to eat, drink, or take a nap.

Wang Tong sat in a corner and started cultivation. This soul essence spell wouldn't have been so taxing on his system if the natural energy weren't so unruly and aggressive. Even with the power of soul essence, Wang Tong needed to recuperate immediately after casting the spell.

Once Wang Tong had given the order to take a rest, the Mastery casters started to help the METAL warriors to heal their bodies. Although there had been no fights, a lot of soldiers were suffering from frostbite. They needed to be looked after immediately before they transgressed into serious injuries.

The warrior's wills were iron, but their body was made out of flesh. The vicious elements could claim a soldier's life when he or she was least expecting it.

Chapter 598: All By Myself

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

One could only rely on the will for that long. Without the unwavering wall sheltering the soldiers at its foot, it was only a matter of time before the soldiers would have been devoured by the icy wrath of nature.

Xiao Libie ate some food and started observing the soldiers around him quietly. He was amazed by how calm these warriors were despite being under such a perilous situation. Xiao Libie knew that such warriors were not uncommon; however, he had never expected to see so many of them under the same banner.

Occasionally, there were soldiers that looked to Wang Tong with a caring glance. However, no one spoke a word to console each other, as if they were convinced that they would be able to pull through this ordeal.

In less than twenty minutes, all the soldiers had finished their preparation, and were ready for the next leg of their journey. As soon as Wang Tong opened his eyes, all the soldiers stood up in unison, their faces awash with eagerness to set off.

"Move!"

Suddenly, a crackling noise came from above the soldiers as a crack appeared in the ice wall and it started to crumble. The METAL warriors charged up their GN force to defend themselves and the mastery casters from the fallen ice blocks. Once the ice wall was gone, soldiers pressed forward with a newfound strength and resolution. The blizzard had subsided significantly, and the soldiers were better prepared.

…

The devil and his demon band had disappeared off the face of the planet. The Zergs had been looking for them for a couple of days, but Wang Tong was nowhere to be seen. Xie Su was irritated by his disappearance, and he had killed more than a dozen of his scouts in a fit of uncontrollable rage.

He had heard rumors at the court that the dark lord had been every displeased by his incompetency lately.

If he let the matter keep on spiraling out of control, he would not escape the cauldron despite his prestigious status among the dark ones. His recent defeats had already made other blood kin eye his power, fantasizing the exhilaration when they would suck his life force away.

In the eyes of the dark ones, the cauldron was the least wasteful method of punishment. Every dark one was made from the blood and flesh of the mother queen, and every cell on a dark one's body was sacred. By offering the power of the persecuted to the other dark ones, the cauldron made sure that every single drop of blood would be used to fuel the Zerg war machine.

Although the cauldron was a manifestation of the primitive Zergs' communal society in some sense, a new form of the societal structure had been introduced in the Zerg world through the blood of the humans. The Zerg world was stratified more so than ever, and the hierarchy system was not rigid. Whoever could accumulate more power would be able to press a claim on a higher social class.

Moye had thought that the competitiveness in the Zerg society was a good thing, but he had overlooked the negative aspect of such a structure.

The dark ones were convinced that Wang Tong had hidden somewhere nearby. Fearing another surprise attack, the cities still held onto their forces and ignored dark lords' call to arms.

After having sacked two Zerg Cities, Lie Jian and Michaux were dealt a blow by a group of fearsome Zergs. The two's success had lowered their guard, and therefore, the Zergs were able to sneak up on them and attacked by surprise.

Both Lie Jian and Michaux had been convinced that they would be able to achieve whatever Wang Tong could. However, after the defeat, they conceded that they had underestimated the abilities of both Wang Tong and the Zergs.

The dark ones had thoroughly studied the humans, including their battle strategies. When it came down to the degree of intelligence, it varied greatly among different populations, and was hard to predict. The rank of the dark ones did not reflect their intelligence. In other words, a low ranking dark one could be much smarter, albeit weaker, than a blood kin.

They knew that the martian hero doublet was marching toward them, and had let them sack the two cities on purpose in order to lower their guard and lure them into their trap.

The miscalculation was not because of Lie Jian or Michaux's arrogance. As a matter of fact, they had been very prudent in making every decision. However, the size of their army meant it was impossible to move behind the enemy line unnoticed. In addition, they lacked a thorough understanding of the Zergs like Wang Tong did. Sometimes, Wang Tong's uncanny ability to predict the Zergs' movement made the soldiers think that he was actually a Zerg in disguise; some even called him Dr. Zerg.

In order to defeat the Zergs, the humans would have to first learn from them, particularly their despicable and devious methods in dealing with the enemy. Wang Tong was able to turn himself as treacherous as a Zerg by understanding the latter's way of thinking; but, neither Michaux nor Lie Jian was able to do that.

While dealing with the dark ones, Wang Tong would never let his guard down. He wouldn't poke them with a six feet pole if the dark ones had the upper hand; however, he wouldn't hesitate to throw himself at them if he had the advantage.

Thanks to the dedicated soldiers from House Lie and the sect, Michaux and Lie Jian were able to escape. However, no one knew where Michaux had gone after the defeat, and Lie Jian was gravely injured.

All of this happened when the human devil had also disappeared on the radar, and these series of development had rendered humans into a bundle of nerves. Everything happened so quickly and so far away that all they could do was pray.

…

After five hours of the persistent assault, the wild blizzard finally subsided, allowing the human soldiers to pick up speed. However, the passage they were on started to narrow down significantly. Deep chasms were present on both sides of the narrow corridor. One misstep would spell doom for the travelers. Xiao Libie had never thought that they could make it this far up the range, especially considering the murderous weather condition.

"Once we are out of this valley, we should enter a relatively flatter area. If we can make it, we will make history. No one has ever been to the other side." Xiao Libie remarked.

What Wang Tong wanted to achieve was more than just pass the valley; he wanted to get to the other side of the mountain. No one had ever made it so far, and even Xiao Libie was clueless as to what awaited them once they were through the valley. However, one thing that he did know was that the road was going to be more treacherous the further they went.

"Let's tread through this stretch first. " Wang Tong nodded as he looked up at the winding passage ahead and realized that it was at least a few kilometers in length.

"Everyone halt! I will scout ahead first. If I am not back in two hours, Yin Tianzong, please lead the army and proceed onward. "

"Boss, let me go with you. We could look after each other." Lun Duo put in.

"Let me go," Vorenus said.

Wang Tong shook his head and replied, "It's better if I go alone."

Everyone kept their silence. They knew that if the situation got hairy, they would only be a hindrance to Wang Tong rather than help.

"Why the long faces? I am going to scout the path, not commit suicide. Don't let your guard down. No one knows what kind of danger is lurking in these ranges. "

"Young master, why don't you let me go in your stead? I should be able to handle it." Yin Tainzong urged.

"Tianzong, it has nothing to do with your ability. You don't have the soul essence, so you won't last long out there by yourself." Wang Tong rejected his offer outright.

"Come on everyone, show me some smiles, please? What about you girls? "

Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi squeezed out a smile for Wang Tong. Wang Tong hugged everyone before he set out. The more powerful he got, the more he respected the power of mother nature.

When he was about to hug Xiao Yuyu, the chief medic stole a kiss from his cheek and smiled. "Make sure you come back."

Wang Tong paused for a second and then said with a broad smile, "You bet!"

Ye Zi closed in and kissed Wang Tong on the other cheek, then blushed.

After bidding farewell to Wang Tong, everyone watched as their leader disappeared on the misty path. The natural energy interfered in one's soul energy more significantly the closer one was to the peak. It required tremendous energy just to stabilize the sea of consciousness.

The group waited patiently for its leader's return; every minute seemed like a year.

…

Meanwhile, in the solar system, the last human fleet was led by General Samantha. In the immortal-occupied area, Patroclus had decreed the fleet a pirate organization.

Space had already fallen into the immortals' control, and Samantha and her fleet had to survive on a thin line. Not only did she have to contain the development of the immortals' fleet, but also preserve the seed for the future counterattack. Slowly but surely, Samantha had weaved a web of covert operations in the space right under Patroclus's nose.

This achievement was easier said than done. Although she had to deal with the immortals' attacks on a daily basis, Samantha had never given up the fight.

Chapter 599:Space Aid

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Things that happen next year will determine if the humans will make it or not. " Samantha said, surrounded by officers in a meeting room listening to the briefing from Mars.

The situation on Mars was highly unstable; however, uncertainties were better than defeat.

"Lie Jian and Michaux's actions are too reckless. If they are killed on their mission, the morale of the Martian resistance will be shaken beyond mending."

"Getting killed is still a better ending than being captured by the Zergs."

"I doubt that the dark ones will let them live if they capture them."

"Yes, they will kill any ordinary soldiers on sight, but they are not ordinary. They might transform them into dark ones. "

"General, why did Wang Tong suddenly disappear? What will be his next move?" A lot of the generals were friends with Wang Tong, but some had never met him before.

"Boss must have a plan. The quieter it is, the more fun there will be to watch for us. I am so excited!" Only Karl could make such statement without really knowing anything. The thought of seeing Wang Tong again had elated him greatly.

Everyone had seen what Wang Tong was capable of. However, what he had achieved so far was not able to change the course of humanity's destruction. Everyone at the table, except for Karl was convinced that Wang Tong had met resistance from the Zergs, and therefore, had retreated quietly back to the human territory. What happened to Lie Jian and Michaux was a good example of how deadly the dark ones were.

"Captain Karl, we respect your faith in Wang Tong. However, as a commander, you need to make a judgment based on facts, not feelings. I urge you to refrain from making such groundless claims in the future." An officer in his forties retorted.

"I agree with Captain Saint. Wang Tong is working alone, and we can't put all our eggs in one basket. Captain Karl, please watch what you speak. We don't need your optimism in this meeting."

"With all due respect, Captain Stain, I do agree with Captain Karl. Yes, Wang Tong is fighting by himself, but he is hell of a one-person army. If he succeeds and the Zergs pull their fleet back, we can chase them down with ease. But, the requirement is that we have a full fleet. I motion the board to order the fleet to stay put until we hear more news about Wang Tong." Cao Yi put in calmly. He was the chief adviser of Samantha, and therefore, his words carried more weight than Karl's.

"Hehe, Adviser Cao, where is your usual pragmatism? We all know that Wang Tong is the heir of the Blade Warrior, but so what? Even that title was a product of a PR stunt from the Templar's Court, wasn't it? It meant nothing. If Wang Tong was really as powerful as you claimed, why didn't he stop Patroclus five years ago? I think you all need to wake up and stop dreaming. Instead, think about what we could do for the people on Mars." Lun Deng refuted. He had been a captain of Martian battleship during the Confederation days and even now. His view on the war was more hawkish than anyone else on the board.

He was from Mars, and therefore he insisted that Mars should be the priority.

"The Zergs are prepared. If we attack them now, we will be walking right into their trap. One misstep and we might destroy everything that we have built up so far." Flash said coldly. He was the first promoted to the position of captain due to his unrivaled strategic sense.

"May I? I think you are both right. The situation on Mars has reached a critical moment. Therefore, we can't just sit around and do nothing. However, our help should be limited to containing the Zergs' air raids. We cannot afford to lose any marines." Samantha finally spoke.

"I agree!"

"I agree!"

"Very well! Everyone, set your course to Mars. Make some noise and make your intention as obvious as you can. Let them know we are heading to Mars." Samantha issued her command, her voice holding an unswerving conviction.

"Hehe, I could draft a call to arms and distribute it among other resistance forces." Cao Yi suggested.

"Good call! But, be wary of the immortals' sabotaging activities."

…

Meanwhile, on Mount Dynamo, the retinue had been waiting for Wang Tong for two hours. It had been the longest two hours of their life. The soldiers didn't waste their time while waiting, as they all started their cultivation to recuperate some of their soul energy.

Xiao Libie was amazed by the soldier's discipline. Everyone on the team was a force to be reckoned with; however, their teamwork was sublime. Not only did they carry out instructions to the letter as a team, but when they were alone, they also possessed incredible self-control and restraint. Xiao Libie remembered that his Shifu Zambrotta often lamented the lack of talent under his force. Now he knew where all the talent had gone to: they were all working for Wang Tong.

Two hours later, Wang Tong was still nowhere to be seen.

The leaders of the band gathered around to discuss their next move. "Let's wait for another half hour, and if Wang Tong still doesn't return, we should go save him." Guan Dongyang urged.

Yin Tianzong nodded. Although Wang Tong possessed miraculous abilities, there would always be a limit to his power.

"We should tread carefully. There is no way back." Vorenus said in a serious voice. As soon as they passed the midpoint, they had entered a passage of no return. The wind blew with a constant anguished keening as the snow and ice blocked their view. No one knew what lay ahead of them.

After a while, Bu Zhihuo broke the silence. "Let me lead a small group of rangers to scout ahead. It's too risky to march right into there."

"It's no use. Even if you could scout out a path for us, you won't be able to come back to us alive. This place is… cursed." Yin Tianzong said hopelessly, and then shook his head. If Wang Tong couldn't make it back, everyone would die.

"I believe Wang Tong will be able to make it back even if he can't find any plausible route. I agree with Brother Yin's plan. Let's move in together."

"Brother Xiao, we might not be able to make it to the other side. If you change your mind, I will assign a couple of soldiers to escort you back." Yin Tianzong said. He noticed that Xiao Libie had been very quiet, and was not sure if the new addition was up for his plan or not.

Xiao Libie smiled faintly. "Brother Yin, don't look down on me. If I were too afraid of danger, I wouldn't resign from my position at Zambrotta's force to join Wang Tong. Not only do I wholeheartedly support Wang Tong's plan, but I have also dreamt of conquering Mount Dynamo ever since I was a child."

Everyone nodded in approval toward Xiao Libie's determination. Xiao Libie also found the way everyone regarded him different; it was as if they finally consider him a part of their group.

"Very well! Since everyone is on board with our plan, let's take half an hour to prepare. I need every METAL warrior's full commitment to look after your mastery caster partner." Yin Tianzong issued the final announcement.

"Make sure you stay away from the natural forces without a specific order to do so." Xiao Yuyu reminded casters once more time, who nodded in response. The force field on top of Mount Dynamo was extremely unstable, and no one knew why. It was as if the energy had a mind of its own, a wild and savage mind. Wang Tong was the first to have experienced its feral savagery when he drew the natural energy, but he was able to escape the natural forces attack by using soul essence. The mastery casters had registered the danger that Wang Tong was in, and therefore, even Xiao Yuyu and Guan Dongyang dared not to test the waters.

However, the unsteady force field seemed more like an inconvenience compared to the nerve-wracking waiting.

…

It was fitting to call these warriors devils or demons, since they were capable of treading through hell unfazed.

In the narrow passage between heaven and hell, a retinue of human plodded on. The warriors only truly understood the difficulties of the journey that they had embarked on once they entered the treacherous path. The wind howled insistently in an anguished keening, dismantling the warriors' will one shred of nerve at a time. If not for the soldiers' solid soul energy, they wouldn't even be able to pass the test of the wild gales. The temperature had dropped down below minus forty, and the path seemed endless. Without a sound physique, one would quickly suffer hypothermia as the coldness nibbled away their frayed mind, and soon, they would feel the burning of coldness.

However cold it was, the soldiers could not stop; once they did, their feet would be frozen solid and they would never walk again. Every captain kept their eyes peeled for any warrior that had gone astray from the group.

Yin Tianzong, Vorenus and Xiao Libie led the way at the front of the column. Suddenly, Yin Tianzong shouted, his soul energy reverberating from the head to the tail of the line.

It was a warning.