Swift reactions sprang into motion the moment they realized the truth. More and more details suddenly seemed incongruous as soon as they dwelled on analysis.
In particular, Lionheart and Grimheadâs behavior just before death was entirely uncharacteristic and far below their normal level.
âSomeone interfered with their movement in that instant, that Iâm sure of. Thatâs how they died!â Oakhead bellowed with fury.
Ironclad couldnât yet ascertain the truth of Fei Yaoâs death from Oakheadâs words, so he insisted, âOakhead, as demons, we never let insults go unpunished, so answer me, did you kill Commander Fei Yao or not?â
âBullshit, what Commander Fei Yao? That didnât have anything to do with us!â The innocent Oakhead naturally didnât want to be a scapegoat.
Had it truly been a ploy? Ironclad was still unwilling to let the matter go. âBut that way of shattering the body and eat the heart, isnât that a technique common to your tribe?â
âIdiot, imbecile!! Canât techniques can be imitated?â Oakhead fumed. The monster demons had come baying for blood for this simple reason?? âIf Iâd killed that kind of small fry, do you think I wouldâve left his corpse behind to give you such an obvious clue? Am I that stupid??ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The light flickering in Ironcladâs eyes bore witness to his inner conflict.
Deep down, heâd already begun to realize he mightâve misunderstood the titan demons. Obviously, the latter had come to steal a part of Floraâs resources, but to kill a commander so publicly? Such an outrageous act was completely unnecessary!
In that case, what on earth was going on?
A ghastly scream nearby suddenly cut through his hesitation. Increasing numbers of demons in their vicinity started stumbling and staggering haphazardly.
All around them, a spontaneous golden tide crashed their way. The tide surged forward from every direction. Under the sunâs glare, it shone a magnificent golden, shedding brilliant and uncanny rays as it engulfed the area like a tsunami and submerged countless demons.
âOh no, those are rats! Itâs a horde of spirit beasts!â Oakhead shouted. His heart sank as he understood the nature of the phenomena.
The sight also chilled Ironcladâs heart. He saw countless golden rats converge into a golden ocean.
Hungry and insatiable, the rats unrelentingly swallowed his troops and tribe.
Demons were a very sturdy race, yet they were inexorably sliced and diced by the tide of Goldbiter Rats to end up as food in their stomachs.
They tried to resist, of course. They struggled for dear life.
But the difference in numbers was simply too great. The demons killed all rats coming within reach, and killed them again, but the unending swarm was too much to bear. The enemy kept surging forward, immediately filling the empty space created by their dead kin, rushing forward again and again in never-ending waves, as if there was a limitless supply of them.
Even the top demon heavyweights were chilled to the bone by the sight.
Oakhead stood ashen as he watched the rats harvest his tribesmenâs lives, their enormous frames dragged to the ground by tiny rats.
They became food as soon as they toppled over. Not even the bones were spared. Even a forefather like him felt his hairs stand on end at such a blood-curling scene.
âStop fighting, children! Take to the air and flee into the sky. Donât get bogged down on the ground!â he transmitted via consciousness to his beleaguered troops.
However, when besieged by Goldbiter Rats, to break away was easier said than done.
Everyone knew fleeing into the sky was the best solution. Unfortunately, the rats filled the entire surroundings, leaving no room for retreat. To break away was an uphill battle, and more importantly, some had already tried this method, but the ratsâ perception was too keen.
Before the demons could fully take to the sky, the rats would throw themselves into the air to cut off their foesâ path of escape.
âDamn it, what the hell is up with these rats? Did Flora raise so many of them?â A shiver ran down Ironcladâs spine.
Oakhead snorted coldly. Not lowering his guard for a single moment, he exclaimed, âYou idiot, can you see now youâve been toyed with?â
Ironclad had, in fact, long since understood this fact, but he merely hadnât wanted to admit it aloud.
âOakhead, if not for your tribeâs shameless intrusion, Flora wouldâve already been ours! We couldâve used the sacred land to expand our forces. Instead, weâve been mired here for so long, and now weâre being slaughtered by this bunch of stinking rats!â Ironclad complained bitterly.
âHmph, isnât it a little late to complain about that? Canât you tell the enemy is trying to bury us alive?â Oakheadâs voice was a low, grim rumble.
âWho can it be? Who in Myriad Abyss Island can toy with you and me?â A name suddenly appeared in Ironcladâs mind. âThereâs a new figure among the humans, a kid called Jiang Chen. They say heâs dealt great damage to the golden demons.â
Jiang Chen!
Like a curse, the two characters flashed across the forefathersâ minds.
Oakhead took a deep breath and suddenly howled at the sky, âJiang Chen, this forefather knows youâre the hidden mastermind. If youâre truly a human genius, you should have the guts to come out and fight in the open. Skulking around, always using petty tricks, thatâs the attitude of a coward!â
Gone were his doubts. He was now almost positive Jiang Chen was the mastermind.
The young lordâs serene laughter sounded from the sky. âWell now, Forefather Oakhead, arenât you the quick-witted one? But itâs too late in any case.â
âHmph, sure enough, itâs you.â Oakhead sneered. âHumans truly have no worthy successors. Is their pillar a kid still wet behind the ears? Jiang Chen, you shouldâve quietly holed up in the human domain. Coming to Myriad Abyss Island will spell your own doom!â
Like the scorching sun, a golden ball of illumination dawned in the sky. Jiang Chenâs imposing figure emerged amongst the clouds.