As Chen Feng and the others were discussing the battle plan, the previously clear sky gave way to an immediate deluge—a cold wind whipping sheets of rain that instantly drowned the entire landscape.

"The weather changed?" White frowned, staring outside. "A shift in weather will certainly cause us major trouble when breaking out of the encirclement!"

They were currently encamped on an open plain, the soldiers having already pitched their tents. The encirclement net cast by the heathens was tightening, with the nearest enemy contingent now less than two hundred li away.

At this distance, even through a downpour, it would only take a few minutes of hard riding to reach them. Fortunately, the enemy relied on horses for logistics, and the Golden Armored troops couldn't fly; their speed of advance or retreat wasn't as fast as Chen Feng's group. Even a midnight raid would allow for a safe getaway.

White keeping the forces this close had its rationale. The Wen Lei Arrows within their ranks were sufficient to deal with the enemy's Underworld Saint experts—all that was needed was the right opportunity. If the enemy showed even a momentary lapse, White was certain to seize it and lead the entire contingent to escape the siege. A direct, open breakthrough, even if successful, would severely damage their forces, making the cost outweigh the gain. Thus, they had spent the last two days maneuvering, feigning desperation to mislead the enemy while searching for an opening.

The original plan was to strike and neutralize the leftmost enemy force tonight, which explained their close proximity, but the sudden change in weather threw everything into question.

"Rain this heavy is already a test for the Underworld Saints' Meditation. Although the Crystal Powder used to disrupt Meditation—while incompatible with rainwater—still functions to absorb spiritual energy upon explosion, the washing effect of the rain means powder that could float for ten minutes might not even last two now," White explained. "However, with the storm raging tonight, if we don't launch a surprise attack, I believe it’s actually the perfect time to break through!"

"Agreed. Attacking in this weather gives us a massive advantage!" the commander of the Underworld Saint camp concurred. "If we strike now, we’ll be completely concealed!"

White smiled, glancing at Chen Feng, and seeing his assent, said, "I have a method now. Everyone must follow these instructions precisely..."

…………………………………………………………………

"This damned weather changes on a dime. Blast it, I’m freezing to death!" one sentry muttered, standing guard in the downpour.

"Tell me about it!" His companion pointed toward the sounds of laughter emanating from the great central tent, a look of resentment crossing his face. "They’re enjoying themselves in there while we suffer out here!"

"Enough complaining. Here, I’ve got some liquor. Drink some to warm up. Didn't the captain say the enemy might try a sneak attack tonight with the dark and heavy rain?" The third soldier handed a flask to the other two.

The first soldier took a swig, praising it. "A sneak attack? Those bastards are terrified of us already. Haven't you seen them hiding and scurrying around all day? They’d rather flee than fight. Unless they’re tired of living, they won't dare approach!"

"You can't say that. Since the enemy managed to draw the attention of Divine Envoy, they must have some exceptional capability, otherwise why send so many forces to surround them?" the third soldier countered.

"True, but don't worry. Look how strong our current force is? Fifty thousand Underworld Saints and seventy thousand Underworld Venerables gathered together. I really don't believe anyone dares to challenge us! We aren't afraid of them coming; we're afraid they lack the guts!" the first soldier declared confidently.

"Heh... but if they’re cornered and decide to fight to the death in a desperate leap—a fish dying with the net—our situation might get nasty too."

"What does fighting to the death have to do with us? Of the four contingents surrounding them, ours is the strongest. I don't believe they’re stupid enough to try breaking through where we are!" the first soldier dismissed the thought. "Besides, the protective shield set up outside our camp can hold off an initial assault!"

"That’s true. We’re just low-ranking soldiers, why worry about this? Drink up!" The second soldier started making arrangements.

The three stood in the rain, growing slightly tipsy and hazy-eyed.

"Huh, I think I just saw a figure... I wonder if I was seeing things!"

"You're seeing things. Keep drinking. Who would be out here in this pouring rain in the middle of the night? Even if someone appeared, wouldn't they have an energy signature? I don’t believe the three of us, with our Underworld Saint strength, wouldn't detect even the faintest energy fluctuation!"

"Right, drink, drink!"

The more they drank, the more addicted they became, their consciousness beginning to blur.

"Wait, something feels wrong!" the first soldier spoke up again after a while.

"What's wrong? Dreaming about getting cozy with a woman?" the third soldier chuckled.

"I wish... haha," the first soldier laughed back. Then, after his laugh faded, he peered into the distance. "I still feel something isn't right. I’ll go check!"

"Go ahead!" The third soldier shook his head and ignored him.

The first soldier walked a few steps forward, then his pupils contracted sharply—there was a corpse lying ahead!

...Upon seeing the face of the corpse, he couldn't hold back and let out a loud shout.

"What are you yelling about?" the third soldier roared. At that exact moment, a purplish-red flaming arrow shot out from a small thicket not far away, piercing straight toward the sky.

Immediately following that came a series of earth-shattering roars, and a massive volley of arrows rained down from above!

"Those are Wen Lei Arrows..."

The three sentries watched in disbelief as the energy shield outside their camp was instantly blown to smithereens.

The raging airflow whipped violently through the air, interspersed with strange powders that stubbornly refused to dissipate despite the rain.

"Enemy attack..." The camp instantly erupted into chaos. Tens of thousands of Underworld Saint experts flew out, only to realize upon reaching the air that their Meditation was being disturbed, making it impossible to locate the enemy's direction!

Woo, woo!

A tearing sound ripped through the air as a large group of maniacal figures, each wielding a spear, charged forward. Any Underworld Saint struck by a spear was instantly killed.

Seeing the enemy’s overwhelming combat prowess, the faces of everyone in the contingent changed, a seed of fear taking root. Just then, a scream echoed from the heart of the camp.

"The Second Divine Envoy is dead!"

"General Mayat is dead!"

These two men were the backbone of the entire force. Hearing these cries, the crowd immediately lost formation, and the already disorganized contingent descended into utter pandemonium.

After the charging band of crazed figures passed through, the sky sounded with a series of buzzing noises—a second wave of Wen Lei Arrows descended.

"Heavens! How many Wen Lei Arrows do these people have? Aren't those things incredibly expensive?" Everyone was stunned. The first volley had already sent down over ten thousand arrows; the second wave made them terrified.

But this was no time for terror; survival was paramount. Upon hearing of the deaths of the Second Divine Envoy and General Mayat, everyone instantly lost the will to fight!

Though these heretics fought fearlessly, that courage was fueled by the divine power of the Envoys. Now, unable to use their Meditation in the dark, rainy night, and with their Divine Envoy slain, panic set in. All they could think about was escaping!

…………………………………………………………………

General Mayat emerged from the Second Divine Envoy’s tent with a triumphant smile on his face.

The Second Divine Envoy and his soldiers were housed separately; a Divine Envoy, naturally, had to maintain his dignity and could not share lodgings with common troops.

Through their recent conversation, the Second Divine Envoy had made his position clear: if Mayat could be the first to capture the contingent known as [Sweeping the Horizon], upon unification of the continent, he was guaranteed a position as a Cardinal in the Church—perhaps even the Pope!

Hearing this news filled him with intoxicating joy. What was a Church Cardinal? A regional warlord! And the Pope? Essentially an emperor! How could such generous terms not excite him?

"A mere private army, only a hundred thousand strong or so. Simple to wipe out completely! I wonder what happened to the teams led by the Seventh and Eighth Divine Envoys that they couldn't even handle this small matter. Looks like this prize will fall to me after all!" he thought, visualizing the future, the excitement making him barely able to contain himself.

"General Mayat..." his personal guard called out as he walked past.

"Get lost! Can't you see I'm deep in thought?" He loathed having his contemplation interrupted, especially when envisioning his grand future.

The guard, startled by his demeanor, spun around and retreated without daring to speak another word.

General Mayat muttered a few curses, humming a tune as he walked. Just then, his heart suddenly tightened, and a distinct sense of danger washed over him from the small patch of woods outside the tent area!

…………

Chen Feng remained perfectly still, rooted to the spot he had painstakingly chosen after much scouting.

Originally, this task was merely a routine part of the plan, not requiring his direct involvement. White had assigned the task to the commander of the Underworld Saint camp. However, after careful consideration, Chen Feng decided it was better if he handled it himself.

Using his Teleportation by Thought, he swiftly bypassed the enemy sentries, sneaking into this concealed position. Rainwater traced down his face, but his body was as solid as cast iron, lying flat on the ground without the slightest hint of breath, like a predator waiting for its prey.

Those at the Underworld Saint level possessed an intimate understanding of every blade of grass and tree; Chen Feng dared not be careless.

Presently, a dark silhouette approached in the distance, accompanied by a faint humming sound.

"That's him!" Chen Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, his internal Domain Power surging. His figure flickered, seemingly tearing through the constraints of time and space, instantly appearing before the approaching target!

Hachishin-An—Oni-Bu! (To be continued. For further developments, please log on to m for more chapters, support the author, and genuine reading!) First published.