CHAPTER 646: CHAPTER 388: NOT MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN_2

Closing his eyes, he sat on the ground, breathing steadily, his body swiftly relaxing. Sinking into the depths, he entered the cave with a different vitality. He saw his Qi vortex, now strengthened by the pitifully unlucky souls devoured by the Wolf Head.

Yan Xiaobao sat inside his Dantian Cave and noticed a pearl-white strand of Qi reaching from the vortex to him. He quickly realized that this strand hadn’t appeared before, but now seemed to follow him. The strand shimmered with a silver hue, and Yan Xiaobao felt it depositing energy into him, making his soul grow stronger and stronger.

As he strengthened, his consciousness began to resemble that of a red wolf more than a young human. When Lan Feng’s raspy voice rang out in the Dantian Cave, he nearly lost himself, "You useless little man, without my help, you’d accomplish nothing, would you?" Lan Feng shouted, cooling the panic that was slowly rising within Yan Xiaobao as he glared at the arrogant Phoenix.

"When it comes to war and such matters, I’ll stay in the background. But during cultivation, you’ll always need assistance," he continued without elaborating on what he might do to change that.

Sighing, the Phoenix stood up and approached Yan Xiaobao. It flicked something off its forehead that made the red wolf whimper. Wu Wei was employed in the assault, and Yan Xiaobao could swear he caught sight of red marks appearing beneath the wolf’s fur.

"All you need to do is think," Lan Feng said with a faint smile. "Think about your human body. Think about your human features. If you can do this, you’ll transform back into a proper man."

"All I need to do is think?" Yan Xiaobao was momentarily stunned by the realization that he hadn’t even considered his human form. Instead, he’d been fixated on the wolf’s shape and senses, and as those thoughts accumulated, his body had transformed accordingly. Standing in the Dantian Cave, the half-beast, half-human being felt somewhat foolish for not considering this option earlier. Satisfied, he nodded at Lan Feng, closed his eyes once more, and visualized. He imagined the image of long white hair and serene blue eyes. The image of pale skin, a tall frame, long limbs, and a muscular torso. As the image grew clearer in his mind, Yan Xiaobao’s transformation accelerated. His sharp snout receded, his fangs shortened, his fur withdrew, his hair turned white, and his eyes became blue.

It took him less than half an hour to return to his human form, yet he couldn’t help but frown as he reflected on the process. Clearly, he should have been able to transform faster, but he needed more practice. This time, the transformation had been involuntary; perhaps it would be easier if he could consciously decide to change.

"Wake up," said a playful voice, accompanied by a gentle tap on the top of his head. This made him open his eyes to see Wan Qiao. "It’s dawn. I think now’s the time for us to counterattack," she continued. "We’ve stayed behind our defenses for too long, and the beasts are restless. We need a real battle. I trust you know what this means." She grinned. Yan Xiaobao had to admit he’d sensed the bloodlust from the beasts before. He could understand that many beasts in the army were now waiting for his command, their hearts filled with the desire to fight. This was why they’d come here, but they’d spent far more time defending than engaging in combat.

"Alright," Yan Xiaobao nodded, a smile curling on his lips. "Take me to the army." Together, the human and beast walked out of the tent, stopping wherever the others paused to stare at the two of them. When they saw Yan Xiaobao, their eyes filled with excitement.

Returning to the war machine, Yan Xiaobao climbed the tower. Standing at the top, he spread his arms wide. "Everyone!" he shouted, his face breaking into a smile. As everyone silently gazed at the young man atop the tower, there was a brief pause. "Today, we fight the humans; today, we conquer the lands beyond their walls. Tonight, we feast upon their corpses!"

Upon hearing his words, every beast swiftly shifted into their beastly forms, their roars, cheers, and howls ringing out. The ground trembled, the heavens filled with murderous intent, and the air shook.

"The Fortieth Army stays to guard the weapons and the camp; the rest, move out!"

Though some faces bore traces of dissatisfaction, no one dared challenge Yan Xiaobao. As he stood atop the platform, golden martial power wings materialized on his back, lifting him as he soared from the tower. Hovering in the air, he gave a nod to the Saint, who nodded back at him. The very atmosphere grew heavy with tension; sweat formed on every brow. And yet, everyone was laughing. As they awaited Yan Xiaobao’s command, they bared their fangs, excitement coursing through their veins, making their blood boil.

"Advance!" he shouted as he sped toward the front of the troop, his eyes keenly scanning the horizon. He knew the enemy possessed crossbow cannons, and he had no intention of being struck by any of them. Some beasts soared into the skies, others burrowed underground, while still others sprinted across the bloodstained earth, passing through territories they’d battled over earlier. The ground was littered with corpses, and the air reeked of decay. The stench, far more pungent to beasts than humans, was something they relished. To beasts, it wasn’t foul; it was the satisfying aroma of rotting flesh. Humans might not share this enthusiasm, but to them, the stench was no worse than the fragrance of flowers or the scent of the living, albeit far stronger.

As they crossed the battlefield, adrenaline surged through everyone. Their senses sharpened to the extreme, their bodies taut and ready to strike at a moment’s notice. These groups, united as one army, were wholly ready to unleash devastation. Today was the day they showcased their true power.

The battlefield was behind them; it didn’t take long before the human army appeared. They scrambled to take their positions, clearly shaken by Yan Xiaobao’s earlier thunderous voice. Yet, his purpose hadn’t been to warn them, so he wasn’t concerned. In fact, he was relieved — if they launched an attack while humans were ill-prepared, it could work to their advantage.

"Halt!" Yan Xiaobao bellowed, and every beast froze in place. Seeing the mass of humans gathering ahead, he declared in a voice that made the heavens rumble and the ground quake: "Remember what I taught you. Make me proud; let’s move forward and win this battle!"

At his command, everyone surged forward. Groups split from the main force, directly charging into the bodies of their enemies. The moment the two sides collided, the air filled with the scent of blood. Limbs were severed, beasts’ agonized roars mingled with the screams of dying humans, and the cacophony permeated the battlefield.

At the rear of the army, Yan Xiaobao hovered in the air with thirty-nine Saints trailing behind him. None displayed any inclination to engage in the battle; they simply stood still, observing as the chaos unfolded.

Yan Xiaobao had once relied on his beastly instincts to participate in warfare, but the outcome had been disastrous. Although he managed to defeat his enemies, he’d spent the following seven days in an ice-cold stupor. "I can’t afford to fight like that," Yan Xiaobao muttered, watching the countless beasts below.

"This group seems much better than I’d expected," Yan Xiaobao said casually as he observed one of the groups he’d trained earlier. The unit, composed of Lightning Struck Panthers, was performing exceptionally. Although not typically pack animals, their teamwork was seamless. All focused on the assault while ensuring their backs were never exposed to the enemy, constantly countering each threat.

As he scanned the battlefield, Yan Xiaobao spotted a group of Winged Scorpion-tailed Lions. Naturally predisposed to pack hunting, their synergy was evident in their combat prowess. One lion acted as a lookout, while the others moved in formations, systematically taking down targets one by one. Their teamwork was impressive enough to make Yan Xiaobao raise his eyebrows in surprise.

Another group caught Yan Xiaobao’s attention due to their sheer aggression. They all worked as a cohesive unit, standing with their backs seamlessly aligned. In this manner, they advanced further into enemy lines, slaughtering any foe who dared evade them.

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