Boom! Boom! Boom!
Across the vast blood-colored plain, the deep and impassioned battle drums sounded like heavy hammers, each beat stirring one’s blood to a boil!
Amidst the sound of battle drums, squads of ten Demon Soul Soldiers, even hundred-man squads, converged from all directions like streams, merging into the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group marching over the plain.
A lone Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander, along with the streams of soldiers coming from all around, also merged into the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group.
However, this Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander was slightly different from the other Demon Soul Soldiers; behind him, a cloud-white little cat followed along fussily.
This person was Ye Zhen!
After transfiguring into a Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander, Ye Zhen found that probably because the body size of the Demon Soul Commander was similar to his own, the consumption to maintain the transfiguration was minimal.
Ye Zhen estimated that with his Cultivation, even if he did nothing strenuous, he could easily maintain the transfiguration of the Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander for over a day.
This discovery ultimately led Ye Zhen towards the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group.
But the matter of the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub’s whereabouts posed a problem.
Being too far from Ye Zhen could lead to accidents, as the Battlefield of Demon Souls was fraught with danger at every turn.
Yet being too close to Ye Zhen carried the risk of discovery by the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group, which could turn the tables and lead to their persecution.
After careful consideration, Ye Zhen let the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub use the Universe Wishing Secret Technique to shrink its body to a harmless size, and followed closely behind him, heading towards the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group.
He had grown to this point; Ye Zhen would not resort to merely gambling on luck.
His current attempt to infiltrate the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group was extremely dangerous. If he kept the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub by his side, it could be used for a critical escape.
After all, the flight speed of beasts was incomparable to that of a Martial Artist.
When the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub flew at full speed, a typical Spirit Transformation Realm Martial Artist could not catch up.
Ye Zhen estimated that if his action failed and he was exposed, by escaping on the Cloud Winged Tiger in a crucial moment, only the commander of the entire Thousand-Man Group would be able to catch up in the air.
With the help of his Origin Sword Vein, shaking off one person’s pursuit would be relatively easy.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of battle drums echoed as Ye Zhen stepped in rhythm, drawing closer and closer to the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group.
Perhaps it was because the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub was quite small, or perhaps because it accompanied Ye Zhen, who was masquerading as a Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander; the squads of ten and hundred Demon Soul Soldiers that passed by paid no attention to the little tiger cub.
This gave Ye Zhen some relief.
Just like the other Demon Soul Soldiers, Ye Zhen kept his eyes fixed straight ahead without a glance to the sides.
Suddenly, the brilliant tri-colored Talisman Light began to ascend slowly in the distant sky, like a distant lighthouse that would not extinguish for a long while.
"The second gathering signal?"
Ye Zhen felt annoyed; at this critical moment, Third Prince Zhu Kun was actually issuing the second gathering signal.
Under normal circumstances, Ye Zhen should quickly join the Martial Artists from the Black Water Kingdom, but after a few breaths, Ye Zhen completely ignored the tri-colored gathering signal in the distant sky.
Even if the twelve Black Water Kingdom Martial Artists gathered together, they would only manage to defeat a Demon Soul Hundred-Man Squad slightly more easily.
Not to mention encountering a Demon Soul Ten-Thousand-Man Army, even encountering a Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group would force them to flee in disarray.
In such a situation, the amount of Demon Soul Blood Crystals they could obtain was extremely limited.
But if Ye Zhen’s current plan succeeded, the Demon Soul Blood Crystals he could potentially acquire were beyond calculation.
He continued resolutely towards the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group.
Closer now.
Even closer, when Ye Zhen was only ten meters away from the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group, his heart almost reached his throat.
The next step was to walk into the military formation of the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group and find a spot to stand, and he would be successful.
"Hundred-Man Commander, where are your soldiers!"
A Demon Soul Hundred-Man Commander, who looked similar to Ye Zhen, unexpectedly blocked Ye Zhen’s path before he could step into the formation.
Ye Zhen’s heart suddenly hung in suspense.
The squads of ten and hundred that had previously merged into the formation had not encountered any questioning.
"They encountered a formidable enemy and were all killed in action!"
"All killed in action?" The demeanor of the opposing Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander immediately turned severe, "According to military rules..."
Ye Zhen’s heart suddenly tightened; he remembered the ancient military rules he had studied during his early years at home, and they flashed through his mind.
"All ranks dead except for the commanding officer, and the officer responsible for defeat, decapitate!"
"Yes, but the White Armor Hundred-Man Squad we encountered, from top to bottom, were also completely annihilated by my unit!" Recalling the ancient military rules, Ye Zhen hastily added another sentence.
Indeed, the austere presence surrounding the Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander immediately dissipated, "Since there are no subordinates left, join the General’s Personal Guard Team, serve as a bodyguard to the General!"
Ye Zhen’s hair stood on end once again.
According to Elder Zhong, the generals of the thousand-man squads possess Cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm. Ye Zhen did not know if the general of this thousand-man squad could see through his transfiguration.
Yet, Ye Zhen had no choice!
The Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander on the opposite side mechanically turned around and walked towards the very center of the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group, and all Ye Zhen could do was follow.
"General, this Hundred-Man Commander’s unit has been entirely wiped out, but they have also annihilated the enemy. I have ordered them to serve as personal guards!"
With a military salute, the Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander reported back to a square-faced general towering over two meters tall, exuding an exceptionally terrifying aura with Blood Light surging intensely around him.
"Approved!"
The Square-faced General’s reply was just one word.
Just as Ye Zhen, under the command of that Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commander, stepped into the Personal Guard Team behind the Square-faced General, the general suddenly turned around, his gaze fixing on the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub following close to Ye Zhen’s feet.
Ye Zhen’s heart tightened, and he hurriedly explained, "General, this is a Cloud Winged Tiger that I subdued on the way. It can fly and serve as a Sky Scout!"
At this moment, Ye Zhen couldn’t care about what exactly this Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group was; he could only stiffen his scalp and offer an explanation.
The last sentence was a flash of inspiration that came to Ye Zhen’s mind during his response, which he added as an ad-lib.
In the army, useless creatures weren’t kept; it was impossible to bring a pet along for no reason.
To Ye Zhen’s astonishment, the general of the Black Armored Thousand-Man Group’s eyes suddenly lit up, "It can serve as a Sky Scout? Then take to the skies; report back immediately for any changes within a hundred miles."
Without question, the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub, in sync with Ye Zhen’s thoughts, flapped its wings mightily and soared into the air.
Ye Zhen became even more alarmed. The Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group’s general’s reaction confirmed one of Ye Zhen’s guesses—that within the Demon Soul Legion, the higher the rank and cultivation, the higher the intelligence.
Of course, compared to a real Martial Artist, there was still a long way to go.
At the very least, there had been no questions asked about how Ye Zhen had managed to subdue the tiger, among other things.
Once this minor incident was over, no one paid any more attention to Ye Zhen. The entire army, like a torrential flood, was absorbing all the power it could assimilate and rolling forward.
Initially, Ye Zhen, who was with the Personal Guard Team, felt like a cow amongst a pack of wolves, out of place and unable to merge with the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group.
After carefully observing for about half an hour, Ye Zhen stepped forward with the same pace as the surrounding Hundred-Man Demon Soul Commanders, following the dull yet rousing beat of the war drums.
Boom!
In an instant, Ye Zhen felt as though he had merged with the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group and the swirling Demon Soul Blood Qi around him; a feeling beyond description flooded his body.
His heartbeat accelerated, the speed of his Spiritual Power circulation increased, and his body suddenly felt much lighter. His entire Spirit Perception extended outward, using the swirling Demon Soul Blood Qi around the Black Armored Thousand-Man Group as a boundary.
Ye Zhen felt that by merging with this collective of the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group, his combat power would passively increase. He didn’t know exactly how much it would increase, but Ye Zhen understood that in this current state, if he were to encounter Southern Barbarian Spirit Practitioner Da Hai again, he would have the confidence to fight.
Ye Zhen also discovered that within this Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group, the Ten-man Commanders had soared to the Spirit Transformation Realm First Stage. In the Hundred-man Units, the Ten-man Commanders had only been at the Peak of Spirit Summoning Realm.
The larger the legion, the stronger the soldiers’ combat power!
"Roar!"
The roar of the Cloud Winged Tiger came from above Ye Zhen, attracting the attention of the Black Armored Thousand-Man Demon Soul Group, and even causing the massive Blood-colored Crossbows at the rear of the legion to open and aim at the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub in the sky.
"General, it has gathered intelligence!"
Ye Zhen shouted urgently.
"This is our Sky Scout, withdraw the crossbows!" commanded the Square-faced General authoritatively, and the menacing Blood-colored Crossbows were withdrawn, averting the crisis for the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub!
"Speak!"
The Square-faced General was addressing Ye Zhen.
"General, eighty miles to our front right, there’s a Ten Thousand Strong White Armor Legion heading towards our forces; we will encounter them in about half an hour!"
Within the Thousand-Man Group, even the rank-and-file Demon Soul Soldiers were at the Early Stage Spirit Summoning Realm. Marching hundred miles in two hours was a very easy task!
"General, thirty miles to our left, there are four Black Armored Hundred-man Squads roaming, and fifty miles to our front left, there’s a White Armored Thousand-Man Squad progressing!"
Before the Square-faced General could make a decision, Ye Zhen quickly added one more statement!
"White Armored Thousand-Man Squad?"
A fleeting killing intent flashed across the Square-faced General’s face as he abruptly gave the command, "March thirty miles to the left at high speed, then turn right!"
"Hundred-man Commander, direct the Sky Scout to conduct constant reconnaissance. If there’s any change, report back immediately. For ease of scouting, you’re free to move around!"
The last phrase, addressed to Ye Zhen, especially the words "free to move around," delighted Ye Zhen. Those words were akin to a treasure of inestimable value within the strictly disciplined army.
As they were speaking, the Square-faced General casually waved his hand, casting a unique Blood Light that landed on Ye Zhen. Ye Zhen estimated it must be some sort of identity mark.
On the Blood-colored Land, the Black Armored Army, now numbering over two thousand, abruptly changed direction, surging towards the left as the dull and stirring beat of the war drums resounded once more!
This Black Armored Army, currently counting two thousand men, would certainly be no match for the Ten Thousand Strong White Armor Legion coming from the front right.
But the Thousand-man White Armor Squad fifty miles to the front left wouldn’t pose much of a problem.
If the various Hundred-man Squads to the left were gathered first, the troop strength of this Black Armored Thousand-Man Army would exceed three thousand. With a threefold advantage in numbers, they would surely be able to overrun the White Armor Squad of just over a thousand men.
Once the Thousand-man White Armor Legion was annihilated, Ye Zhen would reap a large number of Demon Soul Blood Crystals.
However, that wasn’t what excited Ye Zhen the most.
What truly thrilled Ye Zhen was his discovery of the Southern Barbarian Spirit Practitioner Da Hai, trailing the scent of the Cloud Winged Tiger from over a hundred miles to the left, riding the Water and Fire Golden Ape as he pursued him! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your votes of recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

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