Let's not mention Huai Shi flicking her tongue, flaunting her beauty against the wind, prideful of her natural good looks.
In the solemn atmosphere, accompanied by the shrill sounds of countless gears turning, the gates leading to the Great Rift Valley flung open layer by layer. Swarms of Mutated Lizards assembled in formation and marched toward the valley battlefield, already stained crimson with blood.
And within several other fortresses, poised for battle, another gate burst open.
"Van Sheng! Van Sheng! Van Sheng!"
Thunderous chants emerged from within, "For the Supreme Emperor!"
Immediately after, Iron Boots trampled the earth, and an army clad in steel marched forward in neat ranks with the resonant sound of their steps.
Huai Shi's eyes widened.
Goodness, a Roman phalanx?
And… it's a group of Dog-headed Men. Yes, a group of Dog-headed Men wearing Iron Armor, wielding Long Spears and large shields, with Daggers strapped to their waists.
From the color of their fur, they were a bunch of border collies!
Incredible!
As they drew closer and saw Huai Shi on the wall, they couldn't help but glance at each other. It felt as if they were seeing family, yet there was also a ceremonial sense, like old acquaintances from home meeting, one ready to stab the other in the back.
There was no time for sentimental reflection. The old priest on the city ramparts raised the Banner and emitted a piercing scream. Amidst the rich Incense, the Mutated Lizards below burned red with frenzy. They chanted holy songs with zeal as they charged at the border collie formation!
As these malformed Lizard Men sprinted, their bloated, misshapen feet trampled the ground, unfazed by the mud and harsh terrain. They sped like creatures mounted on beasts. In an instant, they had plunged chaotically into the Dog-headed Man's ranks, weapons raised high.
It was like an ugly tide crashing against frenzied rocks, with gray, black, white, and crimson exploding in an instant.
A twitch ran through the corner of Huai Shi's eye.
"What's happening?" Fu Yi, hidden inside the Bell, couldn't see the outcome below and grew anxious.
"Everyone's mingling, the situation is very HAPPY, so much so that some things a Little Cat shouldn't see are happening..."
Huai Shi raised her paw and promptly plugged the hollow of the Bell, shutting out the thick, nauseating stench of blood.
From a distance, the horrific scene resembled colors dancing in sewage. Set against the backdrop of whinnying and screaming, the roars and hymns made it particularly ferocious and chaotic.
The ugliest scene in the world unfolded before the Explorers in the most naked way.
Even though both sides were Lizard Men and Dog-headed Men, making it hard to empathize, Huai Shi still felt exceptionally uneasy. At the same time, she experienced that familiar thirst.
It was the call of her body's instincts.
Like Van Essen of the past, urgently craving fresh blood.
Huai Shi expertly suppressed this impulse that was not her own, letting her pupils burn blood red, motionless. But the other Giant Beasts could hardly contain themselves. Their sharp claws scraped against the bricks of the city wall, emitting sparks amidst the grating sound, growing increasingly parched amidst the scent of blood.
The other cities remained unmoved. They coldly observed as the two armies offered up the first blood sacrifice to the eternal war in the most brutal way possible.
The first to lose their composure were the Explorers on the opposite side.
The city gates burst open with a thunderous crash. The Dog-headed Man's formation, on the verge of collapse under the blare of sharp bugles, seemed to receive a command. It neatly bifurcated, clearing a straight path through, allowing the oppressive hurricane to sound amidst the earth-shaking sprint.
The ground trembled under the onslaught of the iron-gray Giant Rhinoceros!
It was as if an exaggeratedly huge armored truck had suddenly charged into a rice paddy. The shrill cry of its engine caused the straw to be effortlessly crushed, pierced, and torn to shreds.
Bathing in the fragments of corpses and blood, the bloodthirsty Giant Rhinoceros roared excitedly. It slammed into the gates of the Lizard Men's Royal City. It left a profound dent. Realizing it couldn't break through the pure steel doors anytime soon, the Giant Rhinoceros simply changed direction, rolling back towards the Lizard Men fanatics behind it.
The wailing marked the climax of a brutal campaign.
The blood-soaked Giant Rhinoceros laughed maniacally as it trampled, easily crushing insignificant bubbles and racing through the dark, blood-red mire.
Atop the city walls, the old priest's face turned from pale to blood-red.
It was a miracle. Lizard Men are supposed to be cold-blooded creatures, after all.
Suddenly, it raised the Banner in its hand and turned back to look at the Great Spirits on their side atop the city walls, with a serious yet expectant expression. Just like an old general maneuvering plans on the battlefield, it was only short of asking, "Who can bring me the head of that villain?"
"Let me take the first wave," a voice said.
At the very front, a colossal White Deer, as if treading on clouds, slowly rose. It stepped forward, floating towards the battlefield with a mysterious and serene smile.
It was as if a celestial child had been sent by the heavens to subdue the evil beast below. Its movements, up and down, lacked even a trace of worldly dust, making Huai Shi want to praise its exquisite lightness skill.
Then it returned. Only, aside from its head, its other parts remained on the battlefield forever.
Previously, when it was easy pickings, no one thought much of the strength of that iron-gray rhino. But after the White Deer descended and was about to demonstrate its martial skills, the rhino suddenly appeared right before it.
A burst of sprinting, then sprinting again!
Its two-stage charge broke the sound barrier like a truck, creating a thunderous roar. It needed no other weapon; its own terrifying mass and hard shell were already the best!
In an instant, the mysterious White Deer, seemingly holding aces up its sleeve, was blasted into a pulp. It was as if it had been hit head-on by Rome's Dora super cannon.
Its four legs splayed out in all directions. Most of its neck, along with the head, flew up into the sky like a hammer, splattering blood as it returned to the top of the city walls. It crashed into a stone next to the old priest, a pulpy mass almost embedded in the rock.
It was certainly dead beyond doubt.
In an instant, apart from the joyful laughter of the Giant Rhinoceros below, the city wall fell eerily silent.
The old priest's face turned from red to white, then white to green, and green to purple, cycling like a color palette in Photoshop. It trembled as it turned back to look at the other Great Spirits, its mouth quivering with anger. He was unable to speak, but his meaning was clear: Who's next?
All the Giant Beasts involuntarily inhaled sharply.
Good heavens! Everyone had thought the ones taking the stage at the beginning were just filler, like minor deities. But the other side had casually played a trump card, bringing out a powerhouse from the Erlang Temple!