"Obscene Snake!" Elder Lang cried.
Tuoba Tieshan's side was just as stunned. They knew Zhuo Fan was up to no good, but they had failed to grasp how high Zhuo Fan would shoot; a Profound Heaven cultivator taking down an Ethereal Stage expert's head.
"He first neutralized Elder Lang with words while aiming for Elder She. Zhuo Fan is insidious." Tuoba Tieshan gasped.
The others were on the same page about that. Touba Lian'er was dazed looking at the slumping corpse as her heart gave an odd thump…
Zhuo Fan jumped away and shouted, "Elder Li, they're enraged. Flee!"
Li Jingtian's ears twitched and he broke away. While chasing them, Fierce Tiger sensed danger from the spatial fluctuations and dodged.
He saw Zhuo Fan's right eye's two golden rings.
Whoosh!
Li Jingtian grabbed Zhuo Fan and flew away. With Obscene Snake losing his head, the python around Qiu Yanhai faded away.
He rejoined Xue Qingjian and they were right behind Li Jingtian.
Fierce Tiger went over to Obscene Snake's body, then glared at Jackal, "What the hell happened? How did they get his head?"
Elder Lang was still shaken up, stomping, "How should I know? One second he was here in front of me and then the next second the punk was in Obscene Snake's arms, taking his head. He was dead before I even saw it. He got what he deserved, looking down on his enemy and going mad with lust. I've told him time and time again, lust ain't all fun and games. This is the result."
"Enough of your useless advice. It's all your fault for not having a hold on the brat."
With a bellow, Obscene Snake's corpse flopped around and a brown python came out of it. It had cruel eyes, always hissing and equipped with a pair of poisonous fangs ready to tear its prey.
"That rotten bastard ruined my body! I will tear his soul and take his body as revenge!" The python raved, its tail lashing everywhere.
Elder Hu and Jackal shrugged, then watched Zhuo Fan go, "Old Lang, should we help Obscene Snake get a new body?"
"Of course, even without that damn snake's issue, I'd still tear the punk limb from limb!" Elder Lang gnashed his teeth.
Obscene Snake's body flopped some more, his voice howling, "What are you waiting for, get him! Without a body, I'm losing a tenth of my strength every quarter of an hour. I need to get him fast!"
"Why not just… pick anyone. Get yourself a body first and then we'll go." Fierce Tiger proposed.
But Obscene Snake shook his huge head in anger, "Screw that, the kid ruined my body and it'll be his body that I'll have. Anything short will make me a laughing stock back at the sect!"
[Like you aren't already a laughing stock. A grand Ethereal Stage expert got his head popped by a Profound Heaven pup is the joke of the millennium. Getting revenge won't ever change that!]
[This damn snake is the shame of our Beast Taming Sect.]
Fierce Tiger and Jackal snickered inside.
But as fellow sect members, letting the enemy just waltz away would throw them in the same boat.
Without further ado, they chased, be it for the glory of their sect, or for personal vendetta, they went after the devilish Zhuo Fan.
Two men and one snake soul flew away.
Tuoba Tieshan grew heavy, "These elders have been duped again. It's a lure. From Zhuo Fan's movements, it's clear that this was premeditated. From the start he has targeted our aces, getting them out of the picture before letting the armies fight."
"But they're weaker in that regard." Tuoba Liufeng said.
Tuoba Tieshan spoke with wisdom, "The lesser of two evils, their army may be on the disadvantage but it is far better than letting the Ethereal Stage experts turn the battlefield into a killing field. That is to say, Zhuo Fan has even more plans…"
Tuoba Tieshan drifted off with a frown.
Han Tiemo exclaimed, "Brother Tieshan, you mean Zhuo Fan is not only luring them, but also going to… trap them?"
"Correct, to trap the elders, they have to be lured first. I fear that their fate is already sealed." Tuoba Tieshan sighed, "They say not to push a cornered enemy. Yet these elders…"
"But they're all in the Ethereal Stage, with anything beneath a 7th grade array turned moot, what kind of snare could hold them?" Tuoba Liufeng asked.
Tuoba Tieshan shook his head, "Zhuo Fan exceeds all expectations, with his countless tricks. Did any of us imagine he'd be ruining Elder She's body?"
Everyone faltered, recalling Elder She turning into a snake and his rage.
Zhuo Fan was outstanding in his skills and devices. Anything was possible with him around.
"Lord father, what do we do? Help them…"
"No!"
Tuoba Tieshan shot him down, "Better finish this war fast! Zhuo Fan wants to end our experts then deal with us. Before he comes back, we will throw everything we have into Windgaze City. He will deal with the elders but I will take the city. It will be our victory.
"All-out assault! Capture Windgaze City!" Tuoba Tieshan barked orders and his generals bowed, "Yes, commander!"
Within fifteen minutes the Quanrong army was in formation, moving like a black swarm towards Windgaze City.
The Eight Wolf Wardens led their divisions to lay a powerful siege.
The Four Tigers of Tianyu turned to the million men behind them and sighed.
Six hundred thousand of them were veterans of Dugu Army while the rest were draftees, no different from a rabble.
The odds were way stacked against them yet they showed no concern, not when everything went according to a certain plan.
"Just like Marshal said, Tuoba Tieshan is out to end it fast. The Eight Wolf Wardens are all sent into battle too, an all-out assault." Dugu Feng smiled.
Dugu Lin nodded and turned to the grumbling Dugu Huo, "Since we'll be the bait, not worthy of our skills, third brother sure is sour, ha-ha-ha…"
"When has it ever been like this? We're about to go to war with the enemy commander yet we can't even take a swing? Marshal is so unfair." Dugu Huo huffed and stomped.
Dugu Feng stated, "True, it's not like Marshal is old fifth's steward for nothing. He has to make him look good. Besides, if there's one team that can cut through the enemy like butter, it's that creepy division. With our men, we won't even get past the wardens."
Just the mention of their fifth brother had Dugu Huo whining again, "Each soldier should be placed according to their skills. Giving me that division would allow it to reach its true potential, unlike under fifth. Can't Marshal see this simple truth?"
"Dad isn't blind, he just doesn't care about you."
Gu Santong chomped out an ingredient to the side, bored, "Dad is a nepotist. Who are you to him, that he would just give you those hard refined war puppets?"
Dugu Huo didn't take it well, "Gu Santong, are you any different? You're his son, tough and strong. So why is it that he chose the elders over you in dealing with those Ethereal Stage experts?"
"Because you're that much of a burden! Dad asked me to look after you. Never to leave you out of my sight, afraid that you worthless generals need babysitting. That's why I'm stuck here instead of wasting that friggin' old foggie who messed with dad." Gu Santong fumed.
Dugu Feng intervened before Dugu Huo blew a gasket, "Now, now, we're all on the same side, following Marshal's orders. Moreover, Gu Santong is right, the enemy is sending specialists after our heads. Take a look."
The others followed Dugu Feng's finger and found a fleeting black mist among the Quanrong army.
"Shadow guards!"