Chapter 403: They are a pack of lone wolves
It was a dark, moonless night with strong winds. The misty night seemed like the Heavens had specially prepared it for the first division. The three hundred Celestial soldiers proceeded in the night.
They were all dressed in black stealth clothing. They did not wear a single piece of armor. Even the weapons they chose were black bronze weapons that were of ordinary sharpness. This was in order for them to slink into the night.
The squad had a large number of cowardly worms, but few of them were weak. Eighty-year-old Maio was known in the army as the “Strict Undying Old Fart”. Although there had been a lack of war for millennia, the standards he imposed on the soldiers under him in their everyday training were higher than normal.
If someone in the first division wanted to enjoy treatment two times better than soldiers of the same rank, they had to endure the strict training Maio imposed on them. If not, they would be immediately be eliminated ruthlessly by Maio. After all, there were many people who envied the first division’s benefits.
Therefore, in this stealth mission at night, the three hundred soldiers showcased their extremely high level of skill and discipline. Even though they were trembling in fear of death, they did their best to curb the production of any sound.
The sound of footsteps, breathing, and every other sound was minimized, so as to seamlessly merge into the silence of the night.
Maio, who was creeping right in front, came into the narrow path known as the Door of the Bravehearts. The second soldier paused for three seconds before he mustered the courage to walk in.
The other side of the Door of the Bravehearts was the Infernal domain. It was also very likely to be their burial ground.
But, who would wish to die?
And who would be willing to die?
After Maio said “Children, let us send ourselves to our deaths!”, he very wisely added another line.
“But if we can do it nicely enough, it might not be impossible to survive.”
A kamikaze squad did not mean that they would definitely die. The mission they were carrying out just had a very high mortality rate. Although the likelihood of dying was extremely close to sure-death, there was still a tiny chance of survival.
What ignited the most hope in people was not a star-filled sky, but the faint light in the darkness.
If one wanted to survive, one needed to do the job perfectly.
The three hundred Celestial soldiers demonstrated their perfect bearing. This was a result of the usual rigorous training they had undergone as well as the hope of them surviving.
Maio, who was once one of the ten Divine Generals, showed his strong side. Even though he was at the advanced age of eighty, he was still like an old horse in the stable that dreamed of heroic exploits. He was first to lead the charge. Before the two Infernal guards managed to react in time, their throats were slit. With a muffled cry, the Infernals that had been somewhat negligent died in pain.
The Infernal domain that had never faced an invasion for countless years was careless in its defense. At that moment, the weakness was vividly torn apart and magnified.
The first line of defense behind the Door of the Bravehearts had four patrolling Infernals. Before they managed to issue any warnings, they were instantly killed by Maio singlehandedly.
The three hundred Celestial soldiers successfully infiltrated the Infernal domain through the Door of the Bravehearts. They had silently completed the initial stages of the invasion.
However, regardless of how negligent the Infernal domain’s defenses were, it was still the Infernal domain. When the three hundred Celestial soldiers stepped into the second line of defense, a searchlight suddenly fell onto the Celestial soldiers!
A warning siren immediately resounded through the night sky!
The Infernal guards at the second, third and fourth line of defense were jolted awake. They quickly picked up their weapons in preparation to destroy the sudden intruders!
“Disperse!”
With an order from Maio, three hundred Celestial soldiers immediately scattered like sand. A cohesive squad transformed into ants that crawled in every direction.
And most crucial of all, they still tried their best to repress the sounds they produced while running in every direction.
In the darkness of the night, there were rustling sounds that sounded like the light sounds of crickets. It was impossible to tell that it was the footstep sounds of three hundred Celestial soldiers.
As for the searchlight, it swung back and forth but only managed to illuminate a portion of the fleeing Celestial soldiers!
“Here!”
“Over here too!”
“No, over here!”
“How many enemies are there!?”
In the darkness, the Infernal guards shouted in pointed responses.
The Infernal guards that could not discern the number of enemies could only charge into the enemy group with weapons in hand. They began their slaughter with the aim of killing as many as they could!
The Celestial soldiers’ resistance was extremely valiant. However, what surprised the Infernal guards was that the enemies they were fighting against did not have any reinforcements.
With five Infernal guards attacking a Celestial soldier, there was no one who came to support the besieged Celestial soldier!
Screams punctuated the night sky as most of the Celestial soldiers screamed out tragically. Few of the Infernal guards died.
However, when the Infernal guards could no longer find a living Celestial soldier, they were shocked to discover that all the guards at the second line of defense had died. The second line of defense was broken!
This was the first division of the Celestial army. They would not support any fellow soldier that was discovered. Their only goal was infiltration and advancement, so as to complete their mission!
As they were only three hundred people, they had no chances of victory when facing the entire Infernal domain’s soldiers. The only method they had was to complete the invasion as fast as possible before the Infernal domain reacted in full force!
They could not attack in groups. They were only lone wolves that ran in different directions for the same goal.
There was bound to be a direction in which a gap could be found!
Maio ran frenetically, as he constantly heard the tragic screams of his fellow young soldiers. It made his aging heart feel depressed. Due to the effects of time, his stone-cold soul was carved with a tinge of emotion. It made him feel sentimental about partings in life or death.
But the real soldiers had to disregard their lives and deaths!
Maio’s eyes flashed with a cold and resolute light. Like the most ruthless and fiercest forest wolf, his rich experience and keen intuition allowed him to dodge the pursuit of the searchlights again and again. When his companions were discovered and surrounded, he would turn a blind eye and coldly make a detour so as to find a fleeting crack in the defenses.
The second line of defense!
The third line of defense!
The fourth line of defense!
Maio penetrated layer upon layer of defenses like a sharp sword. He may lay dormant in the night or proceed at an extremely fast speed in the night. But when he attacked, he would silently take a fresh life along with him.
More deaths were happening beside him as the Celestial soldiers were constantly sacrificed. When he crossed the fourth line of defense and passed the Infernal domain’s wall, he was the only person left.
To penetrate the Infernal domain’s four lines of defenses with just three hundred soldiers was a spectacle even if the four lines of defenses had become relaxed over years of peace.
And Maio, who was advanced in age, had completed such a spectacle.
He was about to ignite the flames of war when he stood in front of an array rune that was inscribed on a stone wall.
Maio closed his eyes and stretched his hands out to the array’s runes.
There were thousands of such array runes in the Infernal domain. It was one of the most ordinary ones, but just this rune alone was not simple to destroy. Even Maio, who was once one of the ten Divine Generals, was unable to do so in a short period of time.
Unless he used unusual means.
“Long Live His Majesty!”
Maio suddenly opened his eyes. Light bloomed as his body combusted in flames!
“Boom!”
A deafening explosion echoed in the already noisy night!
At that moment, the gargantuan in Transcendence, as well as the bull-horned guard in the Celestial domain’s Celestial King’s palace, said the same words almost simultaneously.
“The war has begun.”