Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Continuing the fierce fight with a War Saber in hand, he was already at the end of his strength. How could he face the overwhelming army? Yet, he had never given up. Covered in countless wounds, he died from exhaustion, and his Lost Soul headed straight for Izumo Mountain, where, under Shi Qingfeng's guidance, he entered the earthly rankings to recuperate.

"Alas! What a staunch and steely man, send the order to give him a grand burial!" Bai Chengchou, as a warlord of the chaotic times, still had that much magnanimity.

Inside the tent of the Black Armored Army, Xu Jianglin was carefully observing the map when he suddenly heard a series of noisy sounds, furrowing his brows he asked, "What is it? What's with the commotion?"

The trusted aide guarding the tent quickly replied, "General, urgent news has come from the front lines—General Wu Jiang has died in battle!"

"Where is he? Bring him in quickly! What's Wu Jiang playing at? A group of Rebels could actually take his life?" Xu Jianglin was well aware of Wu Jiang's capabilities. Since he had decided to act, it must be that the band of Rebels were not very strong. Yet, this band of weak Rebels actually managed to annihilate the entire vanguard of the Black Armored Army.

There must be reasons that he did not know about, so he needed to know the details.

Soon, the trusted aide brought the soldier who came to report into the tent. Seeing the soldier with a dirtied face and wounds, Xu Jianglin, uncharacteristically, did not get angry but merely asked, "Tell me the situation at the front lines one by one. Why did we fail?"

The soldier recited from his memory till he spoke of the strange fog, still a bit traumatized, "Just when we were about to claim a great victory, a thick fog suddenly appeared. It was so dense that we couldn't see our own hands, and although we could hear the sounds of the battle close by, we couldn't find our comrades. Later, those Rebels appeared, and for some reason, they just couldn't be killed.

Just when we managed to kill them, they would reappear after a while. By the time the fog had lifted, there were very few of us left."

Listening to the soldier's detailed description, Xu Jianglin, supported his forehead with his hand and thought deeply for a long time. Then, he waved his hand and said, "I understand. Go rest well."

Watching the departing soldier, he then commanded the trusted aide, "Call Black Back in here!"

Soon, the General Black Back entered the tent, Xu Jianglin gestured for everyone around to leave, and then his demeanor suddenly changed and he no longer looked like the gentle scholar from before. His body emitted a tyrannical aura, and his eyes flashed with a terrifying red light.

"Tell me! What exactly happened, and how did Wu Jiang really die?"

Black Back, already frightened by Xu Jianglin's aura, hurriedly replied, "According to my observations, it must have been a Cultivator who intervened. Behind that White Lotus Sect, there must stand a high-level expert from the Cultivation Realm. That fog was summoned by the White Lotus Holy Maiden using a Spell, and those undying, eerie soldiers were all Paper Effigies."

"Have you figured out the origins of these people?" Xu Jianglin wasn't surprised by the news. He was no ordinary man; after hearing the soldier's description, he had realized that a Cultivator had intervened.

"I don't know, the person behind the scenes never came out. But from the charms and sacred water they used, I smelled a strong scent of blood," Black Back quickly relayed the information he had gathered, knowing well that his master, the Great King, was not an easy-going person, and it was only in recent times he had slightly softened his behavior to hide his true identity.

"A smell of blood? It seems they are not on the path of righteousness, and hiding their identity is probably because they cannot withstand scrutiny. But I don't care who they are if they dare to stand in my way; they must die!" Xu Jianglin's eyes surged with a fierce glint.

"How are the Wolf Guards that I asked you to train?" Xu Jianglin changed the topic.

"Reporting to the Great King, there are already two thousand people. The physique of the human race is really too weak, and very few can withstand the Great King's bloodline transformation!"

"Two thousand people are enough. Tonight, you will lead the Wolf Guards to launch a night attack on the White Lotus Sect's main camp."

That night, the sky was densely enveloped by dark clouds, casting everything into pitch darkness. Although the weather was not favorable, it was an absolutely fortunate day for the members of the White Lotus Sect, having just achieved a significant victory during the day, completely annihilating the vanguard of the elite Black Armored Army.

At this time, everyone at the White Lotus Sect was immersed in a sea of joy, completely unaware that danger had stealthily descended upon them.

Outside their camp, a troop of men had quietly approached. Each of these men was burly, clad in black clothes, and their eyes gleamed crimson in the darkness, presenting a terrifying sight.

"Men, the Great King has said that there are no restrictions tonight, unleash yourselves and kill," said Heibei, who instantly transformed into an upright Wolf Demon with crimson eyes, bared fangs, dark dense fur, and long, icy claws gleaming coldly.

Upon this command, those burly men also tore off their clothes and transformed into Wolf Demons. They howled towards the sky, and their howls sent shockwaves across the land. Amidst these howls, the cloud-covered sky cracked open to reveal the bright, full moon.

The moonlight seemed to drape these werewolves in a layer of silvery armor. With eyes aglow, they charged into the White Lotus Sect's main camp.

This was a dance of slaughter, a bloodthirsty feast, the final grace granted by the hunters to their prey. These werewolves were incredibly strong, their bodies covered with tough skin that resisted ordinary swords and sabers. Moreover, their terrifying forms struck terror into the members of the White Lotus Sect, leaving them utterly disheartened and flustered.

Some were so frightened their legs gave way, while others prayed sincerely on the ground, hoping their divine spirits would save them.

However, all of this could not stop the werewolves' rampage. It wasn't long before the camp was strewn with corpses, and after feasting, the werewolves disappeared into the depths of the dark, leaving chaos behind.

"What exactly happened? Why did the entire camp fall silently like this?" This time, it was Bai Chengchou who frowned. Just last night, everyone in a camp had been killed, the scene a complete mess, with signs of savage animal bites everywhere.

"Did the nearby military camps say that last night there seemed to be an alarming howl of wolves here?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"A howl of wolves, since when can a pack of wolves do such a thing?" Bai Chengchou did not believe that an ordinary pack of wolves could accomplish this.

"A pack can't, but what if it were Wolf Demons?" The words of the White Lotus Holy Maiden reached him from behind.

"Holy Maiden, you've finally arrived. Are you saying this was done by Wolf Demons?" Bai Chengchou found it hard to believe at first, but then he turned his mind to the realization that if miraculous Taoist laws were a reality, the appearance of a demon might not be so surprising after all.

"Although the presence is faint, I am sure it is the aura of a demon. The ground has wolf fur left on it, and our use of spells during the day destroyed the vanguard of the Black Armored Army. So, it seems that at night, the Wolf Demons came to attack our camp. It seems that Xu Jianglin is not an easy opponent to deal with. I will report this matter to the Sect Hierarch to see how he decides.

You must intensify patrols during this period to prevent such an incident from happening again."