Defying their betters

Patches of withered reeds were crushed by dense footsteps, the soft cracking of broken stems echoing continuously.

Lu Heng concealed himself in the very center of the Puppet Green Demon horde, completely obscured by the layers of burly, robust bodies. To outsiders, all they could see was a dark mass of alien races surging forward; no one could possibly know that the controller of this ferocious beast horde was merely a human standing quietly within the formation.

Having completed its parasitic control, the Green Demon shed its original scattered and frenzied wildness, and its movements became unified and sluggish. Without roaring or agitation, it steadily advanced, relying solely on instinctive bodily movements, pressing deeper into the Inner Region of the Withered Reed Plain.

The creatures of this wasteland had long been terrified by the days of fighting between foreign races.

Small grassland wild animals lurking in the gaps between reeds and in low-lying ditch along the way would scatter and flee as soon as they heard the footsteps of the pack or smelled the dense scent of foreign blood. They dared not peek out, but instead buried their heads in the deeper corners of the grass, their limbs trembling, completely avoiding this moving torrent of terror.

In just a few days, the Green Demon's fearsome reputation had already taken root in the Withered Reed Plain.

Bloody, cruel, and chaotic battles are the norm that all weak creatures have witnessed. But they have never seen such a bizarre sight— the Green Demon, who should be fighting individually and vying for prey, are actually gathering in large numbers, marching silently, and crossing the plains with an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Not just wild animals.

Many human survivors hiding in concealed locations also encountered this unusual army of Green Demon.

As some people parted the reeds to explore the area, they caught sight of a swarm of burly figures and instantly froze, holding their breath. No one dared to take any chances; everyone immediately turned and ran, doing everything in their power to get away from this dangerous area.

Lu Heng followed along, coldly scanning the fleeing figures along the way.

He neither laid a hand on it nor intervened; he remained completely oblivious throughout.

These scattered survivors were well-hidden and weak, posing no threat whatsoever. Rather than wasting energy eliminating them one by one, it was better to let them escape and focus on venturing deeper into the Inner Region. He let go of any humans or wild beasts he encountered along the way, without engaging them in any trouble.

The Puppet army continued its steady advance.

Occasionally, they would encounter a few lone Green Demon wandering the road. Before they could even let out a hunting roar, they would step into the invisible domain of the fungi. In an instant, these stray individuals would be silently parasitized, their consciousness stripped away, their movements compliant, and they would naturally blend into the marching column.

The number of Puppet silently increased.

The base of the formation consisted of Black Iron Tier grunts, interspersed with Bronze Tier elites, and the overall intimidation of the team increased layer by layer as it grew stronger.

Lu Heng maintained his mental energy outwards, meticulously covering a range of several hundred meters around him, constantly monitoring the movements of the entire area.

A moment later, several faint yet familiar human auras quietly clung to the rear of the army.

They are not new strangers.

These were the very survivors he had casually let go along the way and who had escaped unscathed.

These people, who had narrowly escaped death and fled in panic, should have been filled with fear and stayed far away from this dangerous battlefield. But greed ultimately overcame their fear.

They followed far behind the shadows of the Puppet army, maintaining an extremely safe distance, daring not to approach or show their faces, only using the reeds as cover to trail them from afar.

His posture was sleazy, but his thoughts were blunt.

They knew that this Green Demon army was making a huge commotion and would inevitably trigger fierce battles deep in the wasteland.

This group of people didn't want to put in the effort, didn't want to take risks, and dared not step forward to join the battle.

The sole purpose was to follow and observe.

They wait for the powerful to clash, for the alien races to fight each other, and for the dead to be everywhere. Once the battlefield is completely over, they rush out to collect the scattered treasure chests, beast meat, and all the resources, and reap the benefits by relying on the desperate battles of others.

Through his mental power, Lu Heng clearly captured their cautious movements and hesitant, tentative postures.

A chilling disgust suddenly rose in my heart.

In chaotic times, survival depends on individual abilities, and fleeing for self-preservation is perfectly understandable.

But such extreme opportunism, such behavior of wanting to get something for nothing without giving anything in return, is utterly despicable.

While others fight tooth and nail and expend their energy, they hide in the back and watch the battle unfold, waiting to pick up the pieces. Time and again, they profit through such underhanded means, never facing danger head-on, forever hiding in the shadows to steal the spoils.

A faint sense of hostility quietly began to grow in Lu Heng's heart.

He didn't act immediately, but silently locked onto the positions of the figures behind him, his cold eyes fixed forward, letting the Puppet army continue to advance.

The massive commotion eventually disturbed the ruthless figures lurking deep in the wilderness.

The dense reeds in front suddenly trembled violently, mud flew everywhere, and large swathes of withered yellow reeds were snapped off by brute force.

A wiry and ferocious figure broke through the vegetation barrier, blocking the path of the entire Green Demon army.

He is Goblin Warrior.

He wasn't particularly burly, but his entire being exuded a fierce aura of someone who had been through countless battles. His skin was covered with a mix of old and new scars, and he gripped a gleaming short spear tightly in his hand. His eyes were icy cold, revealing a wildness and ferocity far surpassing that of the Green Demon.

It has lingered in this area for a long time and is familiar with the hunting rules of this wilderness.

Green Demon is a greedy lone wolf by nature, always roaming around in scattered groups, hunting for prey on their own, fighting each other for prey, and incompatible with one another. It is absolutely impossible for them to gather and march on such a large scale.

The unusual scene before him enraged the Goblin Warrior.

It raised its head and let out a furious roar with tremendous penetrating power, facing the silent marching swarm of Green Demon ahead.

The roar echoed across the wilderness, piercing through layers of reeds and clearly reaching Lu Heng's ears.

A chaotic mess!

Instead of hunting, they gather to cause trouble!

The few roars were full of questioning and pressure, displaying the controlling attitude of a superior predator over a lower-level alien race.

In its view, this group of low-ranking Green Demon gathering without cause was disrupting the hunting order of the wasteland and challenging its dominant position in this area.

The Goblin Warrior pushed off the ground with his feet, his body slightly lowered, and he held his short spear horizontally, ready to strike and suppress the enemy.

It was waiting for the reaction of this group of out-of-control Green Demon, waiting for them to admit their mistakes and collapse.

But it will never get to wait.

Lu Heng remained hidden within the formation, coldly observing the powerful alien warriors blocking his path, his heart unmoved.

He was well aware that continuously controlling a massive Puppet army was constantly and subtly draining his mental energy.

To march without fighting is simply a pointless waste of resources.

Since a powerful enemy has come to us willingly, we can use this opportunity to fight and counterattack, making good use of the Puppet at our disposal, and avoiding wasting our energy.

There's no need to take action personally, and even less need to preserve military strength.

With a slight thought, the silent command spread throughout the entire legion via the microbial community.

The Green Demon, who had been marching in silence, suddenly changed their movements.

Without hesitation or delay, the densely packed Puppet alien race tensed up, abandoned all marching postures, and launched a fierce charge towards the Goblin Warrior blocking their path.

A dark mass of bodies surged forth, charging forward with overwhelming force, ready to kill.

The deathly silence on the wasteland was shattered, and a great battle was about to break out.

Lu Heng stood calmly in the center of the army formation, his expression indifferent.

Ahead lay the powerful Goblin warriors poised to strike, while behind them lurked the despicable ones waiting to seize the opportunity.

He coldly observed the battle ahead, while keeping a close watch on the several figures following behind him.

These survivors, who only wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, thought they were well hidden and had a brilliant plan.