Chapter 631: Chapter 382: Angel’s Wings
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Activating those angelic wings, a golden radiance appeared behind him, and slowly the wings began to take form from those rays of light. Minutes after the golden wings unfolded and spread behind him, Yan Xiaobao allowed them to absorb his martial power as he ascended into the sky. From above, he gazed for a long time at the army he was leading into war.
Beneath him, all the beasts stood upright in humanoid form. Although they varied in shape and size compared to human figures, they all stood in a disciplined line. Their gazes were fixed on the man hovering above them. They had recognized the wolf, but now he was flying in the sky with majestic golden wings. His silver hair flowed in the wind, and his sharp eyes cast downward with great intensity. His light blue robe swirled softly around his form, and anyone looking at him would feel as though a celestial being had descended into their world. The entire army held their breath in awe; their eyes locked onto this strikingly handsome man, unable to look away.
Not only the soldiers, but also the Saints and Commanders gazed at him in the same astonishment. No one knew he could fly—no one except Wan Qiao, who stood unshaken. She had sprouted directly behind Yan Xiaobao, as if she dared not remain alone by herself.
"What a magnificent sight," Yan Xiaobao murmured to himself as he slowly descended in front of the army. Most of the army’s commanders were mounted on magical beasts—fierce predators, wolves, winged horses, predatory unicorns, or steeds of varying scales.
Although Yan Xiaobao could theoretically tame and ride a magical beast, he would never do so. His entire army was made up of beasts, and not one of them would transform into their primal beast forms in their path. Instead, they all marched methodically toward the opposing army. The only beasts undergoing transformation were a group of five hundred blood-maned buffalo, assigned the task of hauling the heavy machinery—implements of war meant to aid them in battle.
Hui Yue landed gracefully at the forefront of the army, while Wan Qiao stood by his side. Their mentor and the other forty Saints joined nearby not long after. Yan Xiaobao raised an arm, smiling as he surveyed the beasts waiting before him.
"Let the battle commence!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the entire region. The booming roar from every beast behind him expressed their excitement, shaking the ground and creating tremors that seemed to ripple through the sky. Yan Xiaobao displayed a radiant smile on his face as he began to move toward the Imperial Capital. Behind him, the massive beasts fell into formation, their footsteps and the clanking of machinery filling the air.
At first, they traversed barren land, almost devoid of vegetation. In many places, the cracked soil revealed how long it had gone without water. The sparse vegetation that did appear was withered and dry, long since deceased. This was a region untouched by humans; however, they occasionally passed a solitary, abandoned shack. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that these shacks had been deserted long ago, likely when the drought had begun.
No one spoke as they made their way across the landscape. Each member of the army was preoccupied with observing the surroundings, absorbing every new detail of what they saw. The scenery was so distinct, so alien compared to their familiar surroundings within the Divine Origin, that all of them felt like they had entered an entirely different world. The desiccated land gradually gave way to sandy terrain. Even in the sandy expanse, some plants thrived. Sprouting from the unforgiving ground, these resilient plants seemed to embody sheer survival.
The Beast Tribe moved across this ground, doing their best to avoid stepping on the plants—not out of pacifism, but out of respect for anything that struggled to live. They held great reverence for life forms that fought to survive.
Many of these plants were medicinal herbs. Some had been growing for centuries, while others were less than a year old. These plants were imbued with energy, saturated with the essence of the heavens and the earth. Golden light shone from some of them, while silvery liquid seemed to seep from others. While these herbs were immensely beneficial to anyone who cultivated them, not a single member of the army stepped forward to harvest them. Every soldier showed proper respect to the plants, treating them as equals.
The pace of their march was slow. They maintained order and a strict formation, which made running impossible. But Yan Xiaobao was in no rush. To him, it did not matter if it took a long time to reach the destination. The longer it took, the more anxiety would build in the opposing soldiers, wondering what awaited them and who their enemy truly was.
Yan Xiaobao understood that moving slowly also afforded his army more preparation time. The enemies now knew that the Beast Army was arriving with colossal war machines, yet even so, Yan Xiaobao chose not to act hastily. For the enemy’s warfare implements, he planned to have the Saints annihilate them. If he could involve some Saints in keeping their counterparts occupied, while letting the others destroy the bulk of the weaponry, then everything would unfold as he wished.
When the battle began, none of the beasts would remain in their humanoid forms. Every one of them would revert to their original shapes, which meant that many of the beasts would soar into the sky. They would circle above incessantly, locating their targets before launching swift and vicious attacks. Some would burrow into the ground, laying traps for the humans, while others would become ferocious killing machines with sharp teeth, claws, fangs, and talons. In many ways, these Emperors and Kings would vastly outclass the humans. But they were, after all, just beasts. They could be exhausted, and each had its own weaknesses. If one of their vulnerabilities was struck by a spear infused with Qi or spiritual energy, then the enemy might just have the fortune to defeat the beasts they faced.