1182 Preparation Before the Battle (2/2)
After an hour, both sides began to engage in minor skirmishes, resulting in some casualties and injuries for both sides. Eventually, Gene Camp's genetic warriors retreated toward the mountain.
”When are we going to start, Miyaji?”
Yuji, who had been following Dragon Vanquisher Sage, used binoculars to observe the area with those waving banners two kilometers away. Murderous intent could be seen flickering in her eyes unceasingly.
The sage himself was very happy with Yuji in recent days since he found that she, who he never felt optimistic toward before, turned out to be the most competent person under him now. After gently patting her shoulder, he said, ”No rush. Victory will be in our grasp if we know ourselves and the enemies. I need to figure out how much strength that Fukuda vagabond has along with the power possessed by his Gene Camp.”
”Ah, how do you figure it out, though?” asked Yuji in surprise.
Dragon Vanquisher Sage let out a faint smile and pulled 3 black flags from his waist. After chanting a weird mantra, invisible winds gathered from all directions in an image of a bizarre chimera that came out above the three flags. The chimera had a tiger's head and a horn, yet with a dog's ears and a dragon body, a lion's tail, and a Qilin's hooves. To the many core members and executives of the Joyous Palace, this chimera looked like a dragon, a tiger, a lion, a dog, and a Qilin, yet it was neither.
In but a few seconds after, however, the phantoms that appeared atop the black flags were covered by the flags as the wind condensed and gradually disappeared into the jungle.
”The battle today is an all-out one. How much power our Joyous Palace needs to unleash will depend on how much power that damn Fukuda has,” Dragon Vanquisher Sage clapped and happily said with a smile.
”What were those flags you just took out, Miyaji?” Yuji's eyes flickered and she asked with a still expression, ”Can you use them to figure out the enemy's power?”
”You have never heard of 'the Truth Listener'?” asked Dragon Vanquisher Sage.
”No, never heard of it before.” Yuji shook her head.
A mysterious golden-masked man in a black cloak on the other side of the sage suddenly interjected and explained slowly, ”In the legend, that term belongs to the spirit beast under the sacred Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or Guardian of the Earth which can recognize everything in the world by listening, especially listening to people's heart. In the mythical fairy tale of Journey to the West, one of the four famous masterpieces is devoted to the story of Sun Wukong when distinguishing true and false. But it's just that, a legend in which you must take a grain of salt whether you can take it seriously or not.”
Dragon Vanquisher Sage happily nodded and looked at Yuji, saying, ”Your contributions this time is remarkable, avoiding the Joyous Palace to be taken advantage of by the Gene Camp's people, which makes you qualified to know some deeper things These Truth Listener Flags were said to be a magical weapon belonging to a certain Eminent Monk before. It may not be as magical as the Truth Listener told in the legends, per se, but it indeed has a function to monitor some areas in this world while being invisible. Thus, it can be used to monitor the number of the enemy as well as their strengths.”
Yuji quickly understood, but a look of worry, nonetheless, flashed across her face. Although she had no idea about the details of Tang Xiu's plan, she was sincerely worried that his plan would be disrupted. If by chance, the Joyous Palace defeated the enemy easily with light casualties, such a situation would make things more difficult for Tang Xiu to destroy the Joyous Palace.
”Dammit!”
During the time Yuji was worrying about it, she suddenly heard Dragon Vanquisher Sage curse something with an ashen face.
”What happened?” asked the mysterious golden-masked man hurriedly.
The killing intent in the eyes of Dragon Vanquisher Sage looked as though it was nearly solidified as he clenched his fists tightly and said in a fierce tone, ”I didn't expect the Gene Camp to boast such a powerful force, neither did I think that he has a group of cultivators with him. I'm not afraid of them, of course. But those bastards are around him… the traitors of the Joyous Palace!”
”Traitors? Who are they?” blurted out the golden-masked man with thick killing intent.
”That bottom place of 72 Chess Pieces, Ki Kitagawa and the 36th rank, Aka Hidari. I have no idea how these two bastards managed to entice more than 100 of the Joyous Palace's backbone disciples!”
The mysterious golden-masked man coldly interjected, ”Those two will be my first targets once the battle begins, Miyaji!”
Dragon Vanquisher Sage gritted his teeth and said, ”I'll give them to you, but do give your best shot to kill them! They must know what fate they will end up in for betraying me.”
”But why should Miyaji be so troubled with them? Just activate the restriction seal you've cast on them and directly kill them since they've decided to betray you. I think their inexplicable tragic deaths will create chaos in the midst of Gene Camp and strike their morale.”
Dragon Vanquisher Sage was silent for half a minute and then shook his head with an ashen face. ”I have no idea what means they have used. They have broken the restriction seal I cast on them without me being able to detect it. No wonder, huh. No wonder they dare betray me! It turns out that they are now out of my control.”
”How can that be?!!” Yuji blurted out in alarm. ”The seal Palace Master has cast on your subordinates is not a joke. It cannot be undone at all. Didn't you say that no one else but you can undo that seal in this world?”
”SHUT UP!!!”
Dragon Vanquisher Sage turned furious and shouted fiercely.