Chapter 753: Second Phase of the Mission

    The first and most important phase of the mission was a success. They had been able to subjugate the mantis queen without spending too much time or effort. Everything had been within their estimates or more specifically, Jasmine’s mother’s estimates.

    Although she was only the remnant of a spiritual imprint, the wisdom and insight of a powerful immortal, a divine beast no less, was nothing to laugh at. She had keenly deduced the effects of the control plate being damaged all of those years ago and what it would do to the three beasts. The shock of the powerful spiritual bonds breaking would mess with the mind, perhaps jumbling some memories. Even if the memories stayed intact, feelings of loyalty and obedience would no longer be there.

    If Jasmine were to confront any of the three beasts while they were at full strength, it was highly unlikely that they would submit. Instead, they would fight back viciously to maintain the freedom they had enjoyed for five hundred years. As immortals, even beasts, they had this much in terms of arrogance and independence. No immortal wanted to be ordered around by others.

    “Sundew, the mantis lords are coming. Tell them to behave.” Chen Wentian said.

    He had received word from the various void bee colonies that he had seized throughout the forest.

    “How did you...” Sundew shook her head, “Never mind.”

    She raised a claw into the air and let out a spiritual message. These reached the signal flies which were still blinking steadily in the sky. In unison, the blinking pattern changed from a rapid emergency to a slower one.

    Less than a minute later, four flying insects arrived and landed before the queen mantis. The tallest one was Green Giant. The fattest one was Spike Head. White Deng was the most diminutive at only three meters in height while Little Gray was in between all three.

    “Mama!” They all called out in unison, bowing.

    Having received the all-clear signal, they did not dare to act out without her orders, even with strangers present.

    “Get up, I want to introduce two important figures.” She said.

    Then, to the shock of the four mantis lords, she bowed deeply to Jasmine, “This is Miss Jasmine. She is the rightful ruler of this land and the master of the six beasts. She is a Nine Tailed Moonlight Fox, a fabled divine beast. I expect that each of you will treat her as you will treat me.”

    “Yes, mama!” All four shouted.

    Jasmine snorted, “Good, you have raised your children well. As a gift of our first meeting, here.”

    It was an unspoken secret among the three beast kings that they spied on each other. They were allies but they wouldn’t mind getting advantages over each other. It was difficult to impossible to have spies in the core areas of each beast king. However, placing observation posts near the borders was easy enough.

    “Sundew, how quickly will the toad know of our approach?” Chen Wentian asked as they flew.

    The mantis frowned, squeezing its two eyes together, “Very quickly. Although they do not have anything as fast as my signal flies, they have set up arrays using the same concept. They use flame toads that will shoot fireballs into the sky. A nearby nest of flame toads would then shoot their own fireballs and pass along the message.”

    Just as she finished speaking, several fireballs shot out of the mountainous terrain below, rising to the height of several hundred meters in the air. The first set of fireballs were directly below or slightly behind them. The next set that rose in the air was already ahead of them by a large distance.

    “Damn it!” Chen Wentian waved his hands, “Jasmine, Sundew, come with me. The four mantis lords, stay behind and alert us if anything comes north.”

    “Yes, King Chen!”

    “We obey!”

    ---

    Thank you to all my patrons!

    Support me and read ahead by up to 200 chapters!

    p /kigreenwriting

    Join my discord for updates, delays, and my ramblings :)

    d iscord.gg/dY5UApw