Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 616: Chapter 616. Time Limit

After wiping out the battle puppets, Amon targeted Wei Zhuang, who was putting distance between them. Amon sensed an incoming danger. He knew that was from one of the invisible opponents.

Amon was about to dodge when he felt movement in his left arm. Bo Wu emerged. It took the shape of its original form. A shocked yelp was heard as Bo Wu opened its maw, which grew disproportionally large in its smoke form. The open maw bit into empty air. After the bite, the severed body of a person materialized. Only the lower half remained. Everything above its waist was gone.

”Yum,” Bo Wu uttered.

”Who gives you permission to come out?” Amon asked.

”Give me a break. You’ve already revealed your infernal energy. I am less of a secret compared to that,” Bo Wu reasoned.

”Hmph! Protect me,” Amon commanded.

”Aye, aye, master! Hehehe.” Bo Wu laughed excitedly.

While Bo Wu’s smoke form swirled around him, dealing with the invisible opponents, Amon thrust his arm in Wei Zhuang’s direction.

*

Wei Zhuang fled at his fastest speed. Ahead, the battle puppets forming the blockade fought with his invisible underlings. These battle puppets could somehow detect his underlings. He realized then that these puppets did not rely only on visual sensors.

Before he arrived, several glowing discs flew past him and exploded around the area where the battle puppets were fighting his invisible underlings. Some of these explosions struck his underlings and destroyed the talismans on their foreheads. They came into view.

”Elemental mines?” Wei Zhuang identified the glowing discs. It was as Xuang Feng had reported, the enemy had a way to manipulate the elemental mines into offensive weapons.

Wei Zhuang didn’t just stay idle. When the elemental mines assailed his underlings, he held a talisman in his hand. He activated the talisman and threw it forward. The talisman conjured a violent tempest that blew away everything ahead, clearing a path for him.

He was about to charge out of the blockade when a pitch-black plane abruptly appeared in front of him. He sensed immense darkness elements from this plane. He hastily stopped his momentum to change direction.

Unfortunately, he was not fast enough. Two black tentacles burst out of the plane. He dodged the first one but failed to evade the second. The black tentacle caught his right leg.

”Aahhhh...!!!” The pain immediately registered. His Mystic Stage’s defense was as if nonexistent. The black tentacle ate through his leg with rapid erosion.

”Master...!” The collective voices of concern were heard from his remaining invisible underlings.

Wei Zhuang’s underlings tried to save him, but the free tentacle lashed around him, slapping away anyone who approached. As for the tentacle that wrapped around Wei Zhuang’s leg, it spun around the poor man and encased his body. Soon, Wei Zhuang was completely wrapped, as if inside a black cocoon.

The invisible underlings couldn’t get close. Their weapons, which collided with the black tentacle, were severely melted. While they were still at a loss as to what to do, they felt intense heat from behind. They turned around and saw a huge red bird. They only perceived the bird for a short second before it erupted with a flame burst.

The fire spread all around. The fire washed over Wei Zhuang’s invisible underlings. The talismans on their forehead were burnt in the process. They all lost their invisibility.

They were still shocked by the turn of events when Amon zoomed past them using Invisible Sky Steps. Every time he passed one person, that person’s body split into two. Even the hard frame of the battle puppets couldn’t endure the black flame from his ceremonial dagger, what more of a human’s body?

With help from the Great Sun Hawk and Bo Wu, Amon slew all of Wei Zhuang’s underlings within seconds. As for Wei Zhuang himself, he had been completely eroded by the Elder God Tentacles except for his head. Everything below his head had only the bones remaining.

Amon took Wei Zhuang’s head and his space ring, which still clung to his finger bones. He let the Elder God Tentacles release the bones, and they dropped to the ground below. Amon checked the space ring’s content. Only some pills were inside. Wei Zhuang used this space ring to hide his battle puppets, so not much space to fit other things.

Among the pills, Amon identified several Strength Pills. These pills were rare outside of Gyleth Marx, so he kept them.

”Boss, can you please land?” Bo Wu asked. ”Some of the corpses are still intact. I will help you clean them up.”

”No need. Go back to hiding,” Amon commanded.

”Tch,” Bo Wu uttered, but it complied with the command.

After storing all the battle puppets, Amon left the place. He didn’t immediately return to Echos’ camp. He used stealth and sneaked close to Khode’s camp before throwing Wei Zhuang’s head into the camp.

He could hear the alarm sound when he vacated the place.

*

The next morning, he called Ah Bin, who was now the chief pill master in the First Demon Army. He showed Ah Bin the Strength Pill.

”Strength Pill? I have read about this pill, but this is the first time I lay eyes on it,” Ah Bin remarked.

”Study it. Here are four more pills, so don’t need to be afraid of ruining a few.”

”Thank you,” Ah Bin said excitedly. For a Pill Master, studying a new pill was like studying martial arts for cultivators. ”However, even if I successfully learned how to concoct one, it is unlikely for me to produce them. A strength pill is famously made using ingredients native to Gyleth Marx. I am doubtful we have those ingredients available.”

”That’s okay,” Amon said. ”It is good enough if studying these pills helps you improve your pill master’s skill. Furthermore, many pills don’t necessarily have fixed ingredients. It is possible to gain similar effects using alternative ingredients. I believe in your skill. If it is possible to use alternative ingredients, you will find them.”

”Thank you, General!” Ah Bin exclaimed. He felt elated from hearing such praise from Amon. He pocketed the five strength pills and planned to start experimenting immediately.

While Ah Bin was a talented pill master, Amon didn’t truly believe he was exceptional. He was simply giving praise to boost Ah Bin’s confidence.

He still had six more strength pills from looting Wei Zhuang. He gave one to each of his regiment commanders. He handed the pills to Yong Baili and Xu Bao directly. As for Xin Wuming and Wu Di, he sent couriers to deliver them. He kept two for his own use.

---------------

Inside Khode’s camp, Xuang Feng and the others held an emergency meeting after the incident last night.

”How did the enemy infiltrate us?” Zue Siao asked. ”How can one of our commanders get assassinated without anyone being aware of it?”

”It didn’t happen inside the camp,” Wai Kung informed. ”The sentries saw Wei Zhuang leave the camp last night.”

”Really? Where to?” Zue Siao asked.

Wai Kung shook his head. ”We have asked around. No one knows.”

”What about that servant of his? I forgot his name, Lu something...”

”Lu Bao,” Wai Kung said.

”Yes, that’s him. I think I saw him visit this camp two days ago. Where is he? Perhaps Wei Zhuang left the camp because of a message he brought? Maybe he can enlighten us about the situation?”

”He left with Wei Zhuang last night,” Wai Kung informed.

”Can it be someone from Echos who murdered Wei Zhuang?” Wai Ling asked.

”Very likely,” Xuang Feng said. ”The fact that Wei Zhuang’s head was delivered to us meant that the perpetrator tried to demoralize us.”

”Bastard!” Zue Du exclaimed while banging the table. His injuries had largely healed. ”I always knew Wei Zhuang was a smart man. How could he fall into the enemy’s ploy and leave the camp’s safety?”

”Whatever the reason for Wei Zhuang to leave the camp, it is secondary. Our primary concern is still the Echos’ army occupying Tusha Valley and sieging Steam Water City. When are we going to attack?” Zue Siao asked. ”The longer we linger, the more uneasy our soldiers become. Most are no longer enlisted, after all. Some never even served as soldiers. They answered our call because they want to drive out the invaders. The longer we just sit here doing nothing, the less faith they have in this army. They might even end up deciding to leave.”

Xuang Feng was aware of this problem. They might have no time limit in the physical sense because they received continuous supplies from the capital and the surrounding settlements, but mentally, their time was limited. They needed to do something to justify the purpose of being brought together. Otherwise, this Grand Milita would break apart by itself.

”The two legions we sent to get to the enemy’s rear should be halfway by now,” Xuang Feng said. ”Once they arrive at Steam Water City, they can attack the enemy sieging that city from their rear. They can then coordinate with the militia inside the city to assault the enemy’s main army in Tusha Valley. Once that happens, we will make our move.”