The group quickly reformed their battle formation, but Yan Zhichun’s expression darkened.
She knew this coordinated assault wouldn’t have any real effect on Tian Niu. It was all a feint—a covert operation to break the enemy’s *conviction*.
The swarm of *ants* was a diversion. Su Shan calling out coordinates was a diversion. Old Sun casually tossing rocks was a diversion. Only when Tian Niu believed she had spotted a weakness and revealed herself would the Black Goat’s strike and the group’s *echoes* become the true killing blow.
Despite how obvious they had made it, Tian Niu still took several attacks before finally taking the bait.
*“She’s even slower to react than I expected…”*
Su Shan, her eyes bloodshot, scanned the area and quickly locked onto Tian Niu again.
“Yan Zhichun, what now…?” she asked, her expression slightly dazed. “Do we keep tracking?”
Yan Zhichun hesitated briefly. The first layer of the killing blow had already wounded Tian Niu—now came the second. This was the strategy she had learned from Bai Yang: bury the real strike beneath countless feints. Every time the enemy believed the assault had ended, they would plunge into despair once more, exhausting their wits before suffering a crushing defeat, breaking them both physically and mentally.
*Only this could truly be called victory.*
Her gaze shifted toward Jiang Ruoxue, who was deep in conversation with the old man digging in the dirt. The two were holding an eyeball between them, seemingly still negotiating.
“Tian Niu can’t see through the plan. We proceed,” Yan Zhichun said. “Give Ruoxue a little more time. Soon, we’ll have an auto-tracking attack.”
“Got it.” Su Shan nodded blankly, about to call out Tian Niu’s position again—but just then, Tian Niu made her desperate move.
A shockwave of sound erupted from her direction, exploding like thunder.
**“ENEMIES IN THE CARGO HOLD!!”**
Without hesitation, she amplified her voice, shouting toward the entrance:
**“ALL IDLE ZODIACS, RALLY TO THE CARGO HOLD IMMEDIATELY!!”**
Many covered their ears, waiting for the deafening noise to fade. Several among them, however, used the sound to pinpoint Tian Niu’s location, unleashing a barrage of *echoes* at her.
Invisible blows struck Tian Niu, forcing out muffled grunts—she was wounded again. But this time, she didn’t retreat. Instead, she kept shouting for reinforcements.
**“EVEN IF I DIE, YOU MUST DESTROY THAT ENTRANCE!! DON’T LET THE ANTS INTO THE TRAIN!!”**
More and more *echoes* converged on her. Tian Niu knew she wouldn’t last much longer. The stench of death crept closer, and she felt as if something had seized her heart again.
A thought she had never entertained before surfaced in her mind—
*Are we… going to lose?*
Could these people’s true goal be *freeing the ants*?
Their move was even riskier than she had imagined.
At this moment, her heart was being crushed, her body swelling, her hands growing invisible stones, her feet sinking into water. If she had just one last thing to say—one phrase to turn the tide—what would it be?
Yes. There was only one option left.
After a second’s thought, Tian Niu roared:
**“THIS IS QINGLONG’S ORDER—YOU WILL OBEY!!”**
With that, she cut off her amplified voice and fled, battered and bleeding, out of the group’s attack range.
For some reason, she felt utterly alone. The *train* had *zodiacs* outnumbering *participants* several times over—so why was she the only one fighting?
Were the other battlefields so overwhelmed that *zodiacs* were tied down suppressing *participants*, leaving her shorthanded?
Tian Niu quickly assessed the situation. The only way she could help Qinglong now was to secure the *cargo hold*. The next phase was simple—if the *zodiacs* worked together to block the exit, they wouldn’t even need *Celestials*. Just a few *Earth* and *Human* ranks would be enough to keep the *cargo hold* safe. Even if she died, the *rebels* wouldn’t escape.
With that, the *participants’* vanguard would fail, disrupting their linked plans. The *zodiacs* would regain the upper hand, leveraging sheer numbers and power to systematically eliminate the *participants*.
After all, *Celestials* and *Qinglong* were still in command. If *she* could strategize at this level, surely Qinglong, the other *Celestials*, and the *Earth* ranks could do the same?
The odds of losing this battle were slim.
Though she had falsely invoked Qinglong’s authority, *a general in the field need not heed the emperor’s orders*. This was all to suppress the rebellion—she’d find a way to explain later.
Just as she finalized her plan, another wave of *ants* surged toward her, forcing her back into evasion.
Her injuries from earlier slowed her movements, but she no longer dared attack the man summoning rocks—there had to be more traps waiting.
Seeing this, Yan Zhichun adjusted tactics again. She directed Su Shan while issuing orders to Zhou Mo: “Their *reinforcements* will arrive soon. Have Aunt Tong and Luo Shiyi take five others to support the exit—but stay hidden for now. Observe and act accordingly.”
Aunt Tong and Luo Shiyi knew this was likely a suicide mission. At the critical moment, they might have to sacrifice themselves to hold the door. But neither hesitated, slipping away with several *Extremists* amid the chaos.
Even Tian Niu hadn’t expected her *Qinglong’s order* to work so well. With the *cargo hold* door still open, her amplified voice carried through the corridors, reaching every *zodiac* in earshot.
Across the *train*, *Earth* and *Human* ranks who had been idly spectating now stirred reluctantly into action.
This was the first clear command from Qinglong they had heard since the rebellion began.
Near the front of the train, scattered *zodiacs* began moving toward the *cargo hold*.
Though Tian Niu’s words had sounded righteous, most didn’t care about her survival. They focused on one thing: *destroy the entrance.*
At the *cargo hold* door, Human Monkey stood with a group of Earth Tiger’s students, faces tense. They had heard Tian Niu’s amplified voice clearly—now, footsteps echoed through the corridors, signaling an approaching force.
“What do we do…?” a Human Dog asked Human Monkey.
“Turn around. Face the door,” Human Monkey said grimly. “Everyone with a mask—put it on. We can’t do much. Just buy as much time as we can.”
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