The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 467: The Five Wolf Wardens

“Tigers, echelon formation!”

As the beast army closed in, Dugu Zhantian shouted orders.

The Four Tigers of Tianyu bowed and split the million soldiers into four divisions and charged.

The division formed cohesive units sharpened into daggers as they got ready to break the encirclement before the enemy had yet to reach them. 

The cold eyes in the woods laughed, “Dugu Zhantian, you’re as good as ever in using your men. Steel Arm Wolf and Ironback Wolf, go block them. Blood Shadow Wolf and Howling Wind Wolf, flank them. Slaughter Wolf, meet them head on!”

“Understood!”

The trees echoed back. They heard shuffling for a while, leaving only the same cold eyes behind.

Roar~

Massive beasts were upon the four divisions with a stampede, sending gore and blood everywhere while trampling the rest.

Close to a thousand of such huge beasts rained havoc on the men.

The divisions fused their Yuan Qi into an impenetrable shield, pushing back the spiritual beasts.

This was Dugu Army’s renowned strength displayed to its true potential. Each soldier stood weak alone, but here, they were a cog in this murder machine.

Not even a team of Radiant Stage experts would mess with them.

It made them so powerful that even Dugu Zhantian, the only Regent Estate expert in the Dugu Army, intimidated the likes of Regent Estate. Luo Yunhai postulated that even Gu Santong would find it hard to fight this army.

It wasn’t as simple as one plus one. The added force was more than the sum of its parts. This gave Dugu Zhantian ultimate power in Tianyu, thanks to his three million men.

“Second brother, the Quanrong doesn’t look to have a real commander. We can break free!” Dugu Feng shouted.

Dugu Lin nodded, but frowned.

[Is that really the case? So many of Quanrong’s beasts have invaded Tianyu, yet without a leader?] Forgetting the fact that a Quanrong soldier never listened to a Tianyu general’s orders, there was no way for a Tianyu general to command them simply because they were Quanrong.

Not even the Dugu Army, having fought with them for years and years, could claim that they knew about Quanrong’s beast army tactics.

But to come here without any leaders? That was outrageous.

It was no different than a stampede.

Loud bangs announced tens of thousands of hundred meter tall spiritual beasts in the 4th level, falling down like a meteor shower. 

They grouped up the moment they landed, with their riders making seals.

The spiritual beasts turned into a unified force, wrapping them in a fierce Yuan Qi veil, acting as a wall.

“For crying out loud! Speak of the wolf!” Dugu Feng raved, “It’s Quanrong’s formation, Vajra Earth!”

“Stop looking so surprised. We’ve seen it dozens of times. Brother, stand aside. Let me punch a hole in that wall of theirs.” Dugu Huo roared.

Dugu Feng nodded.

[Third is the best when it comes to head on attacks. He’s best at tackling this headache.]

Dugu Huo signaled for the men to part. Dugu Huo sped up until he was out.

His division’s Yuan Qi shield grew thicker, even igniting and becoming visible, testament to its raw power. 

“Take them down in one go!” Dugu Huo shouted, his soldiers echoing his valor.

It was then that a golden figure appeared between the two clashing forces. His Yuan Qi melding with the spiritual beasts’ Yuan Qi wall.

Dugu Huo shouted, “Ironback Wolf!”

“In the flesh! Dugu Huo, you’ll never get past me!” The man laughed. 

Boom!

Red and golden waves clashed in a deadlock, while the two foremost men were Dugu Huo and the sinister Ironback Wolf. 

Their arms tangled, with no one budging an inch. Their own armies fueled their battle with Yuan Qi.

What looked like a mere brawl between two men, had far greater implications. As the formations themselves came into play, it involved the Yuan Qi of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

One side had to slip but a fraction and the other’s Yuan Qi would mow them down like grass.

A thin line between glory and oblivion.

“Dugu Huo, you’re still so tough after all these years. Ha-ha-ha, I was right in coming here!” Ironback Wolf grew excited.

Dugu Huo laughed, “My training shall never stop until I take your hide.”

“You and me both!” Ironback Wolf echoed his battle spirit.

Dugu Feng had other thoughts, coming over with his division, “Sorry to spoil your fun, but this is war, not your playground. I don’t think any of you would mind me helping the old third.”

“Leader of the Four Tigers of Tianyu, Wind Walker Dugu Feng!” Ironback Wolf spoke, “Did you actually think you’re the only one with an overwatch?”

Dugu Feng felt uneasy.

In a flash of gray, Dugu Feng’s advance came to a halt.

His own two hundred thousand strong division had to move aside from the gray Yuan Qi sweep. He saw far in the distance a robed man with his own army of hundred thousand spiritual beasts.

Dugu Feng’s voice was heavy, “Steel Arm Wolf!”

Behind the both clashes, Dugu Lin looked on with unease.

[Three of the Eight Wolf Wardens are in the imperial capital yet two have shown up here…] 

Roar~

The sudden outburst coming from both sides broke him out of his thoughts.

The outburst came from spiritual beasts, but not your ordinary ones…

Dugu Lin grew frantic as he saw on his left, a beast army covered in a red glow and going berserk. 

Leading them was a man with red hair.

Dugu Lin gasped, [It’s him!]

Blood Shadow Wolf.

Unlike the rest of wolf wardens, he was a rare beast master that could arouse the bestial instinct through a secret blood art, rendering them rabid and ten times as strong.

It was the greatest thorn to Dugu Army each time they clashed. With this place in chaos, the ever calm Dugu Lin felt unnerved at last.

And misery sure loved company.

Coming on his right was another beast army in a heavy march.

Howling Wind Wolf.

Dugu Lin’s heart hit rock bottom. Howling Wind Wolf was another beastmaster, specialized in speed. He was as fast as Dugu Feng. 

Though in this case, it was also a matter of size. The huge bodies of spiritual beasts going at such speeds would leave only gore and havoc in its wake.

Sweating buckets, Dugu Lin was at an impasse.

A yellow glow flashed by Dugu Lin’s division.

“Unshakable Mountain!”

Boom!

Howling Wind Wolf’s army came to a halt at Dugu Shan and his division’s intervention. Dugu Zhantian gave his godson free reign in training his troops, forming the strongest Yuan Qi wall in his entire army. 

What they lacked in speed, they made up for in stability. It couldn’t punch through a blockade, but given time, it would come out on top in any conflict.  The beast army had a hard time even shaking this iron shield.

Even so, Dugu Shan’s side was pushed back a dozen meters from the impact, with their faces turning yellow.

“Dugu Shan, you blocked me again?” Howling Wind Wolf raved.

Dugu Shan snickered, “True, it’s always me cutting you off, he-he-he…”

“Second brother, I leave Blood Shadow Wolf to you.” Dugu Shan focused on the enemy coming for another strike, pushing him back one step at a time.

Dugu Lin nodded, turning to Blood Shadow Wolf with a resolved look, “Maze formation, silent as a forest…”