A dreadful silence filled Aoba Pa's study.
After Su Chen left, the head of the Aoba Clan stood motionless for a full incense stick's time.
He did not move.
His eyes, usually narrowed into slits, were now wide open, fixed on the rough hide map on the desk as if he meant to carve every line on it into his bones.
Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.
Tier 2 Magical Beast.
Companion Magic Core.
Those words burned in his chest like a fire that could not be put out.
For a long while.
Aoba Pa spun around. The warm smile had vanished from his face, replaced by the ruthless decisiveness peculiar to a true power player.
"Guards!"
His low growl pierced the heavy door.
A thin, gaunt steward pushed the door open almost at once and bowed before him.
"召集'黑水卫'!"
Aoba Pa's voice was cold and resolute.
"Then summon Elder Gu He from the Tribute Hall!"
The steward's body jolted, a look of alarm crossing his face.
The Black Water Guard was the Aoba Clan's most elite fighting force. Every member was a battle-hardened Dou Shi.
And Elder Gu He was a bona fide Da Dou Shi powerhouse—the true pillar holding the Aoba Clan steady!
Was the clan going to war against the Jialie Clan or the City Lord's Mansion?!
"族长, this..."
"Carry out the order!"
Aoba Pa offered no explanation. He slammed the hide map onto the desk, and a powerful surge of Dou Qi burst forth, making the air throughout the study momentarily still.
"Within half an hour, I want the team on the road!"
"Destination: Black Wind Valley!"
* * *
Night cloaked the endless mountain range.
Black Wind Valley lived up to its name. Cold winds poured out from its unfathomably deep ravine, moaning like ghosts and wolves.
A dozen dark figures moved silently along the rugged mountain path, like leopards stalking through the night.
They were the Aoba Clan's Black Water Guard.
At the head of the team walked an old man in a gray robe. His face was gaunt, his aura restrained, and not a speck of dust touched his feet as he moved.
He was the Aoba Clan's sole guest elder, Gu He, a Da Dou Shi.
"Stay alert!"
Gu He's hoarse voice reached every member of the team.
"The clan leader's order this time is strange. A map of unknown origin has made us deploy in full. If this is a trap..."
He left the warning unfinished, but its meaning cast a shadow over every member of the team.
A young Black Water Guard captain couldn't help asking in a low voice.
"Elder, do you think the intel could be false? A Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake is a Tier 2 Magical Beast. If all of us go in and something happens..."
Gu He's footsteps paused slightly.
His cloudy old eyes looked toward the endless darkness deep in the valley, where some man-eating ancient beast seemed to lie in wait.
"True or false, we'll know soon enough."
He started walking again.
"The clan leader has wagered the Aoba Clan's future. We've wagered our lives."
The team pressed farther in.
The closer they came to the area marked on the map, the more sharply the temperature rose, and the stronger the smell of sulfur grew.
At last, they found the lava cave beneath a sheer cliff, hidden behind enormous vines.
The entrance matched the map exactly.
Gu He exchanged glances with several captains. Every one of them looked grim.
At least as far as the location went, the intel was genuine.
"Form ranks!"
At Gu He's low command, the dozen Black Water Guard members immediately spread out into a battle formation built for both offense and defense. Their Dou Qi flared, illuminating the cave entrance.
Once everything was ready, Gu He drew a deep breath. He poured his formidable Dou Qi into his legs, then stamped hard on the ground!
Boom!
The earth trembled!
A visible, earth-yellow shock wave surged like an enraged dragon toward the depths of the pitch-black cave!
It was the most direct challenge possible.
The next instant—
Hiss—!
Two piercing shrieks, sharp enough to split eardrums, exploded from the deepest part of the cave!
Then a frenzied, suffocating Scorching Heat came surging out of the cave like an erupting volcano!
The ground melted!
The rock walls cracked!
Two enormous, fearsome figures wreathed in dark red flames burst from the darkness!
They were giant serpents, each more than thirty meters long!
Their bodies were covered in scales like molten rock. Most terrifying of all, each serpent had two enormous, identical heads!
Four heads and eight scarlet eyes fixed on the people at the cave entrance, brimming with savagery and bloodlust!
Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snakes!
They really were Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snakes!
Every Black Water Guard member felt their heart sink to the bottom.
The intel was real.
But the beasts' might was ten times more terrifying than they had imagined!
"Attack!"
Gu He's roar cracked like thunder, jolting everyone into action.
He moved first, charging forward. Earth-yellow Dou Qi gathered around him into a heavy stone armor, and the full pressure of a Da Dou Shi erupted without restraint!
"Beasts! Die!"
The battle erupted in an instant!
The entire valley shook violently amid the terrifying collisions of energy!
Flames spewed. Venom sprayed. Giant tails swept through the air!
The two Tier 2 Magical Beasts worked together flawlessly, their strength and speed both horrifying.
Though the Black Water Guard were well trained and their formation was precise, they still fell back step by step under the overwhelming difference in power!
Pfft!
One Black Water Guard member failed to dodge in time and was struck by one Fire Spirit Snake's tail. He flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, his chest caved in and blood gushing from his mouth. He lost the ability to fight in an instant.
"Third squad! Fill the gap!"
Gu He's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. He punched away an incoming fireball, but the stone armor on his arm glowed red from the heat, and searing pain shot through him.
The situation was even worse than he had expected!
Those beasts were probably already close to the threshold of Tier 3!
At this rate, their whole team might be wiped out here today!
"Damn it! The clan leader's been had!"
A captain yelled in despair as he dodged the venom in a panic.
Just as everyone began to lose hope and contemplate retreat, a line of tiny writing in the corner of the map flashed through Gu He's mind—information he had nearly overlooked.
"This snake's left head is the main one. It fears water."
The thought struck like a bolt of lightning splitting the darkness!
A brilliant light burst in Gu He's eyes.
Was it a trap, or their only way out?
There was no time to hesitate!
"Wang Tao!"
Gu He roared.
"Use a water-type Dou Technique! Attack the left head!"
A captain in the team who cultivated a water-type technique was momentarily stunned. But out of absolute trust in the elder, he didn't hesitate.
"Azure Wave Palm!"
He pushed the Dou Qi remaining in his body to its limit. Between his palms, a mass of azure water spun rapidly, forming a huge whirlpool that he slammed toward the left head of the nearest Fire Spirit Snake!
Hiss!
Just as the whirlpool was about to hit its head, the Fire Spirit Snake, which had been rampaging without restraint, let out a terrified shriek!
Its left head jerked back, trying to dodge!
It worked!
The intel was real!
That discovery rekindled the flames of hope in the eyes of every Black Water Guard member who had been plunged into despair!
Boom!
The whirlpool struck the snake's head squarely.
Sss—!
Like cold water poured onto red-hot iron, a vast cloud of white steam rose in an instant!
Most of the flames on the snake's head were doused. Dark green blood seeped from beneath its charred scales!
It was wounded!
"Now!"
Seizing this rare opportunity, Gu He shot into the air like a cannonball.
"Earth Splitting Collapse!"
He gathered all his Dou Qi into his right fist. The earth-yellow light grew blindingly bright, and then, with the force of a thousand tons, he smashed it into the injured Fire Spirit Snake's other head!
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking rang through the valley, making one's teeth ache.
The snake's head split apart under his punch!
At that moment, the battle turned.
* * *
Half an hour later.
The Aoba Clan's study.
Aoba Pa was still pacing in place, his palms long since soaked with sweat.
Just then, hurried, jumbled footsteps sounded outside.
The door was flung open.
Gu He charged in, drenched in blood. His left arm hung limply at his side; he had clearly been seriously wounded.
Aoba Pa's heart sank.
"Did we fail?"
"No!"
Gu He's face was alight with the uncontrollable joy of someone who had just escaped death!
With his only remaining good hand, he pulled two storage bags from his robe and set them heavily on Aoba Pa's desk!
"Clan leader!"
His voice trembled violently with excitement.
"We... succeeded!"
He opened the storage bags.
Two dark red Magic Cores, each the size of a fist, smooth and warm to the touch, and radiating pure fire energy, rolled out.
A flame aura more advanced and purer than the Rock Fire Seed's instantly filled the entire study.
Aoba Pa's breath caught.
With trembling hands, he cradled the two warm Magic Cores in his palms.
The formidable energy coming from them was unmistakable.
"What did it cost us?" he asked with difficulty.
"Three seriously wounded, five lightly wounded, and no one killed."
Gu He's eyes were full of lingering fear and relief.
"We owe it all to... the intel that gentleman gave us!"
He recounted in detail how the information that the snake's left head feared water had turned the battle around.
Aoba Pa listened in silence.
When he heard the last part, the two Magic Cores in his hand were nearly crushed by his grip.
The last trace of doubt in his heart vanished completely.
In its place came a shock and reverence from the depths of his soul, beyond words.
That was no longer intelligence.
That was... an oracle powerful enough to change the tide of battle, powerful enough to decide life and death!
Aoba Pa slowly closed his eyes. After a long while, he suddenly opened them again.
"Give my orders!"
He looked at the Magic Cores in his hand, but his voice was no longer directed at Gu He. It was meant for all of Wutan City—for the eyes lurking in the shadows.
"Take every bit of profit my Aoba Clan will earn over the next three months!"
"I'll build that gentleman a stage the likes of which Wutan City has never seen!"
"I want everyone to know!"
"Whoever is friends with my Aoba Clan is untouchable!"
Before you continue