Chapter 1609: Silently Contributing Auntie

While fighting, he had quickly prepared dozens of the largest and most powerful 'Heavenly Scales' explosive pellets. Then, as the Snail Toad and Flounder Eel battled, he had his Bat Demon Puppet insert them into the Flounder Eel's gaping mouth.

As a demon puppeteer himself, he knew that if Cao Wendao was defeated, his best escape route wouldn't be to fly into the sky, but to burrow underground.

This Flounder Eel looked very much like an escape vehicle. So Dong Rui had preemptively planted 'Heavenly Scales' pellets inside its belly to set a trap later—or rather, to cut off the enemy's retreat.

Although the Flounder Eel was similar in size to the Snail Toad, it was a creature of flesh and blood, without a divine object like the "Mud Palace" to contain anything.

Therefore, every bit of power from the exploding pellets hit it with full force!

Dong Rui gloated, "This is called anticipating the opponent's anticipation!"

High-level tactics!

The Ghost Ape let out two low growls, implying that this move seemed to be He Lingchuan's invention.

Back then, when Cen Boqing's subordinates used the Snail Toad to poach monsters, He Lingchuan had used a warehouse full of Prunella vulgaris as bait, placing a large amount of gunpowder inside and detonating it after the Snail Toad swallowed it.

That time, the Snail Toad was blasted half to death, and Xi Yunhe had to call Dong Rui for repairs.

He Lingchuan was the true master of setting traps.

Dong Rui's response to the Ghost Ape's impartiality was just two words:

"Shut up!"

This fellow really doesn't know when to keep quiet; it's forgotten whose side it's on, and how much it suffered under He Lingchuan back then!

A large hole was blown open in the ground, revealing the dark red fish body underneath.

The fish's belly was completely shredded, and the Flounder Eel was torn to pieces, dying instantly. The formidable power of the 'Heavenly Scales' was evident.

Ashmona also stopped, its movements somewhat hesitant.

Its master wasn't giving commands, so it didn't know what to do.

Dong Rui pointed to the ground and said, "Get him out, quickly!"

The commotion here was too great, with an earthquake and explosions. Qingyang wasn't deaf or foolish; he would definitely rush over.

This was no place to linger. He needed to grab the spoils and run!

The Ghost Ape grabbed its long staff and thrust it powerfully into the ground.

The ground had already been loosened by the explosion. After just two thrusts, large sections of the ground collapsed, revealing the Flounder Eel's mouth.

The Snail Toad exerted force from underground, pushing the dead fish upwards.

The Ghost Ape used its staff to pry open the fish's mouth, peeked inside, then bent down and dragged out a person who was covered in blood and gore, with eyes tightly shut.

It was Cao Wendao.

He had been inside the Flounder Eel's mouth, but with his mount exploding underground, he had nowhere to hide.

Experiencing the most powerful chain explosions of the 'Heavenly Scales' in an enclosed space... Dong Rui winced, feeling the pain on his behalf.

Yet, he was still tightly clutching the demon-subduing pestle, which clearly had a crack on its body.

"Take him back..."

Before Dong Rui finished speaking, Cao Wendao suddenly opened his eyes and rasped, "Take me away!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood as he spoke, his voice barely audible from his throat, but Ashmona still received the command. It flashed over, grabbed his shoulder, and ran out.

Number Sixty-Six was quick, its claw pressing down on the demon-subduing pestle.

Cao Wendao had managed to survive the chain explosions thanks to the pestle's protective power, but this precious pestle had endured repeated damage today and was now at the end of its tether.

Both sides exerted force, and the demon-subduing pestle couldn't withstand it, breaking into two pieces on the spot.

Ashmona shot forward dozens of feet, then suddenly stopped.

Cao Wendao weakly said, "Go, why aren't we... aren't we...?"

Why had it stopped?

He was dazed, his eyelids swollen and bloodshot, almost unable to open his eyes, and unaware that the demon-subduing pestle had broken.

Ashmona was no longer in a hurry to leave, nor was it as obedient as usual. Instead, it lifted him high in front of its face and tilted its head, examining him.

Ashmona was wearing a mask, so others couldn't see its expression—no, wait, it had no facial features, so of course it had no expression.

The Ghost Ape and Number Sixty-Six wanted to charge forward, but Dong Rui raised a hand to stop them. Ashmona's manner as it scrutinized its master seemed quite ominous.

At first, Cao Wendao didn't understand, repeating, "Go, go..."

But Ashmona remained motionless.

Then Cao Wendao forced his eyes open just a slit, and saw Ashmona's stance, along with the demon-subduing pestle in his hand—

The demon-subduing pestle, snapped in half.

It was over. How could this happen?

His heart instantly turned cold.

"No, I didn't..."

Dong Rui didn't know what his last words were meant to be, and would never know, because Ashmona suddenly opened its large mouth and shoved Cao Wendao's head inside.

*Crunch*.

It was like chewing a juicy tomato, with pulp bursting out.

From Dong Rui's perspective, he could clearly see Cao Wendao's body twitch violently twice, and then fall still.

He gasped.

Backlash—every demon puppeteer's nightmare.

The Grand Demon Puppeteer of the Heavenly Palace had ultimately died in the mouth of his own demon puppet.

Ashmona took the broken half of the demon-subduing pestle from its former master's hand, swallowed it whole, then turned and walked away without a second glance at Dong Rui.

The enemy it had been fighting to the death just moments ago seemed completely unfamiliar to it now.

Seeing it turn, Number Sixty-Six instinctively took a step forward, wanting to pursue, but Dong Rui raised a hand to stop it.

There wasn't enough time; they didn't have time to chase.

Two breaths later, Ashmona vanished into the dark jungle.

Dong Rui immediately ordered his demon puppets: "Take Cao Wendao and that green python; let's go!"

For demon puppeteers, survival was paramount!

He had just finished a life-or-death battle, and the victor deserved a generous reward.

The Snail Toad surfaced, extended its tongue, and wrapped up Cao Wendao's headless remains; the Ghost Ape ran into the forest and carried back the corpse of the green python.

Just as Dong Rui was about to order his demon puppets to enter the Mud Palace, another dark shadow emerged from the jungle.

It arrived silently. Number Sixty-Six immediately sensed it, turned, baring its teeth at it, and the fur on its neck bristled.

Another powerful enemy had arrived!

Dong Rui, however, waved his hand, telling it to retreat, and simultaneously said to the dark shadow, "What took you so long?"

The other party stepped out of the woods, revealing eight long legs.

It was Madam Zhu.

"Didn't you say you didn't want me to come, insisting on handling this battle yourself?" it said bluntly. "I only came to check because your wails were so pathetic."

That night, while pursuing Cao Wendao, Madam Zhu had received the message and rushed to provide support, but Dong Rui had suddenly become stubborn, refusing to let her intervene and claiming this battle was his "name-proving" fight.

Now it seemed what he most needed was bone-setting.

Dong Rui gave an embarrassed chuckle. That moment when Ashmona crushed his shoulder bone had really, truly hurt. Wasn't he even allowed to groan?

Madam Zhu still had three white cocoons wrapped under her belly. She tossed these three cocoons in front of Dong Rui, saying, "Three of Qingyang's subordinates were headed this way; I intercepted them halfway and bought He Lingchuan some time."

Qingyang had been blocking He Lingchuan up ahead, and three other subordinates were quietly making their way towards the stream to check if Cao Wendao had retreated.

Then they became cocoons.