Chapter 826: Can You Confine Me? (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"Zhang Yongqing, are you really not going to consider withdrawing your troops?"
A rhomboid space formed by green light blocked the raging crimson flames that carried the power to incinerate everything. Shen Tang stood in the void, looking down at Zhang He, who was lying on the ground with a half-smile. As she spoke, her gaze swept over the other enemy soldiers.
Zhang He's troops were all elite.
Judging from their aura alone, one could tell that each of them was a veteran of countless battles, with a firm will and high morale, and could not be easily swayed.
When they form a battle formation, they can gather their morale above their heads—don't underestimate the amount of morale each person provides, but when the quantity accumulates to a certain level, quantitative change leads to qualitative change.
Morale is equivalent to a warrior's fighting spirit.
Generals or strategists commanding legions can utilize this power. Of course, more often it relies on commands, achieving a state of "unity of purpose" by directing legion soldiers, which amplifies the power of military formation incantations considerably.
If military officers/strategists were to use it directly, the effect would be significantly worse, and it would also put a mental burden on the user.
The military formation Zhang He was using at this moment was the square formation.
The entire force is divided into four parts, each guarding one side. These four sides appear independent yet cooperate with each other. When one side's morale is low, it can be replenished from the other three parts, ensuring a balance of power for each side. This prevents the enemy from using a point-to-area breakout strategy.
At the same time, the offense and defense of the four sides can be flexibly switched.
With enough men, not to mention a 16th-rank Grand Master, even a 20th-rank Marquis could be killed. However, there are few historical records of such cases, since which 20th-rank Marquis didn't have his own elite troops? The number of times someone was alone was extremely rare.
These events typically occur during wars that result in the annihilation of a nation.
The defeated side was wiped out, leaving only the most capable generals alive to hold out. The choice was either to fight or to surrender.
The normal procedure is that the two sides meet briefly, and the generals engage in duels to boost the morale of their own troops. The same number of troops, one with a morale boost and one without, are completely different. Once the formal battle begins, the legions are responsible for the direct confrontation on the battlefield.
Like Shen Tang, who was surrounded and attacked by an army at full health...
They are truly extremely rare!
However, this does not mean that recruiting enough troops will allow one to run rampant. The effectiveness of a military formation is affected by the overall quality of the soldiers. In addition, the neatness of the formation, the soldiers' will, the efficiency of issuing orders, and the degree to which orders are completed must also be considered.
This inherently means that the larger the army formation, the worse its mobility and flexibility, making it easier for lone warriors to escape. Therefore, different formations have emerged to suit different situations. Zhang He's current formation is characterized by poor mobility, but it's well-suited for encirclement and ambush; simply wearing down an opponent can lead to a group attack and death. Unfortunately, Shen Tang is unreasonable.
Aside from being a little out of breath, her dantian was still full.
On the other hand, the enemy wasn't having it so easy. Their morale had been significantly depleted, and with the outermost soldiers of their army being killed and their formation no longer as orderly as before, the pressure on Shen Tang wasn't as great. Judging by this situation, she was certain to win!
Tsk—
She should learn Wu Hui's special skills.
She aimed to weaken the army's power by influencing soldiers' morale and hearing, but unfortunately, she knew very few incantations; the few she did possess were mostly for traveling, farming, or killing. Otherwise, she would have already escaped safely.
Well, persuading Zhang He to withdraw his troops would be just as good.
Zhang He chose to ignore her nonsense.
Shen Tang pouted like a child.
"You're like a rock in a latrine, stinking and hard. Aren't you worried that my troops will come and surround you?" As she spoke, the surging dragon of flames gradually dissipated, with only a few scattered flames remaining. However, the scorching heat in the air had not subsided. Shen Tang did not intend to leave the rhombus-shaped space. "Sigh, you don't appreciate kindness."
She deliberately provoked Zhang He.
Zhang He's expression was initially grim when a black eagle flew in from the horizon. Miraculously, after reaching Zhang He, the eagle transformed into a human on the spot! It was actually an incarnation of literary energy!
The newcomer nodded to Zhang He, whose solemn expression faded, gradually transforming into a sinister smile: "Prefect Shen, are you sure?"
Shen Tang stared intently at the avatar of the scholarly energy.
For some reason, she felt that the aura was very familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had encountered it before.
Shen Tang asked, "What do you mean?"
"Naturally, the more reinforcements you send, the better. That way, when you return, you'll see corpses strewn across Chaoli Pass!"
Shen Tang: "...So confident?"
He said that, but his heart was pounding.
In the Dragon-Slaying Bureau, that bastard Huang Lie had been hiding his true strength from beginning to end. In Shen Tang's view, that sixteenth-rank Grand Master wasn't particularly troublesome; he was a certified fraud. She or Gong Xi Chou could handle him, and at worst, sending two fifteenth-rank Junior Grand Masters could hold him back temporarily. By restraining the highest-level combat power and ensuring the legion's strength could be safely formed, the chances of winning were still quite high.
The real problem lies with his legion of heavy shield warriors!
These heavy shield warriors are individually highly skilled, and as puppets, they require no training or arduous practice to achieve perfect obedience and unified action. Shen Tang couldn't fathom the sheer power they would unleash when truly assembled into a unified army formation.
She didn't know, but Huang Lie certainly did.
Seizing the opportunity, taking advantage of Wu Xian's perilous hunting trip, they launched a surprise attack... One side was well-prepared, while the other was still in disarray; with one side gaining ground and the other losing ground, Huang Lie's advantage was indeed significant. Shen Tang glanced out of the corner of her eye towards Chaoli Pass; a faint red edge was faintly visible on the sky at the edge of her vision. She let out a sharp shriek, drawing her breath from her dantian, amplifying her voice to its maximum.
"Gong! Xi! Chou!"
The sound waves spread in all directions.
Wherever it passed, the misty mountain air paused.
The birds, weary from returning to their nests, were startled by this wave and fluttered about in all directions.
Upon hearing this name, Zhang He felt not only the urge to have a heart attack, but also the urge to have a stroke—Gong Xi Chou was also nearby.
In a short while, the sound resounded for dozens of miles around.
Under the protection of Shen Tangwen's avatar, Wu Xian successfully reunited with Gong Xichou. Seeing that his second son was only slightly injured, his anxious heart finally settled down. The second son, seeing his father covered in wounds, also burst into tears. The father and son, who had survived the ordeal, embraced tightly. Before their intense emotions could be fully expressed, they were abruptly stopped by a piercing shout. The two looked at each other in bewilderment.
The father and son, along with the surviving guards, all turned to look at the bored Gong Xichou. No, that boredom lasted for a second, but the moment the voice came, he sat up straight as if struck by lightning, turning his head to face one direction.
Wu Xian said worriedly, "Something has happened to Chen Mei!"
This is clearly a distress signal.
He couldn't quite understand the relationship between Gong Xichou and Shen Tang. If they were close, Gong Xichou wouldn't even blink when he heard that Shen Tang was covering the rear, let alone rush over to help. If they were distant, he was in a state of panic.
Just as Wu Xian was pondering how to begin his persuasion, Gongxi Chou uttered, "You'll see how you run," summoned his Martial Spirit Totem, leaped onto the python's head, and then—
It flew away?
The second young master stared in disbelief: "A snake—can it fly?"
Not only can it fly, it can fly incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, it had darted away with Gong Xichou, leaving only a glimpse of their backs. Their serpentine bodies twisted in the air, and at first glance, they really did resemble the legendary dragon. But what kind of dragon has ox horns?
Wu Xian was no less shocked than his son.
However, as the leader of the faction, he still understood the priorities. With Gong Xichou gone, they were without military protection and needed to descend the mountain and return to camp as soon as possible. If they were lucky, they could meet up with reinforcements on the way, which would be truly safe.
When Gongxi Chou arrived riding the Martial Gallant Totem, he sensed the unique aura of the Gongxi Clan's High Priest from afar. Martial Gallant warriors rely on martial energy, while Literary Scholars harness literary energy; both are forged from the energy of heaven and earth. However, the High Priest of the Gongxi Clan's power comes from faith, or rather, divine power. With divine power, one can mobilize the life force existing beneath the land.
This is the power bestowed upon the high priest by their clan's god.
In other words—
To fight the high priest, you have to make sure his feet are off the ground!
Zhang He clearly didn't know this trick, letting the figure, radiating life force, occasionally flash to the ground for a while. Gong Xi Chou wanted to laugh, but considering that the phantom was a senior member of the clan, he forcibly held back out of respect.
"Mama—I'm here!"
A huge python fell from the sky.
Every military formation has its strengths and weaknesses, and the Four Directions Formation is no exception. Breaking outwards from the inside encounters immense resistance, but attacking inwards from the outside makes the barrier relatively weaker. Gong Xi Chou's Martial Spirit Totem accelerated its impact, producing a soft sound like shattering glass, forcefully creating a small breach.
The gap is only wide enough for one person to pass through.
Once Gong Xichou came in, Shen Tang could no longer leave.
She watched helplessly as the crack closed.
Gong Xiqiu keenly noticed her emotions and summoned the Martial Spirit Totem again: "It's alright, we can still fight our way out."
Zhang He glared at Gongxi Chou with a sinister look: "Arrogant!"
Gong Xichou: "You think you can stop the two of us... no, the three of us working together? You're dreaming!"
He treated the illusory figure as a person as well—a Gongxi warrior favored by the High Priest, whose power was far more than just the sum of its parts! Hmm, he was somewhat eager to try it out.
Come to think of it, he hasn't experienced it yet.
On the night of the massacre, he was caught completely off guard. Before he could even fight back, Tang Guo's men ripped out his heart. He was later resurrected by Ji Mo Can and the spirits of his clansmen. The old priest had already perished. After that, he sought revenge against Tang Guo. Ji Mo Can, that second-rate high priest, cooperated with him. That guy was only interested in mocking him and fought alone, completely clueless about support...
He thought he had no chance, but unexpectedly he could still get a piece of Mama's action. Gong Xichou made no attempt to hide his excitement.
Come on, come on even harder!
He, a warrior of the Gongxi tribe, fought for his people!
With a tearing sound—
The sound of clothes tearing caught Shen Tang's attention.
Just then, Gong Xichou raised his hand, hooked his collar, and tore his shirt open, revealing bulging, muscular physiques. His skin was finely textured and clearly defined, making one want to call him a male bodhisattva! Circular clan patterns appeared on his shoulder blades.
He had several scars on his chest and back, but they weren't gruesome.
No chest hair, good job.
Shen Tang: "..."
If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, Gao Di would have whistled.
With a single sword stroke, she shattered the arrows on her left and the net on her right, shouting, "Gongxi Chou, what are you doing?"
Gong Xichou did not answer.
The illusory figure, however, cast a faint glance at him.
His lips twitched uncontrollably.
The curvature is very small and difficult to notice without careful attention.
The phantom raised its wooden staff and pointed at the void.
A beam of light shot out, flying like a meteor and merging with the clan markings on Gong Xi Chou's shoulder blades. The clan markings beneath his skin came alive, expanding throughout his body and evolving into more complex patterns, enveloping Gong Xi Chou from head to toe.
The moment the clan crest awakened, it transformed into a suit of armor.
The armor's design was not as complex and ornate as Gongxi Chou's armor; on the contrary, its shape was simple and unremarkable. Only the wearer knew that this armor came from the earth. Through it, one could obtain the blessings of the gods.
Gong Xichou clenched his fist.
He clearly felt a powerful force, brimming with life, connecting him to the earth. Its aura was peaceful, completely different from the violent and domineering martial energy. As it flowed through his meridians, it felt as comfortable as being in a forest with a gentle breeze on his face.
At this moment, the literary figure beside Zhang He sneered.
The voice was so soft that even Zhang He on the side couldn't hear it.
Zhang He murmured, "How could this be..."
As the former Imperial Physician of the Xin Kingdom, Zhang He had been in contact with the Gongxi tribe and its history, and naturally knew the special characteristics of this ethnic group. Their power transcended the existing system.
The clan chief was merely an ordinary administrator; the true core was the high priest. It was said that with the high priest's command, all members of the clan, regardless of gender, could gain considerable combat power through the clan's insignia. However, for some unknown reason, General Tang Guo of the Geng Kingdom was able to easily conquer their territory with over ten thousand elite troops, wiping out the entire clan overnight.
Zhang He initially thought the records of the Gongxi tribe were exaggerated and the rumors from the outside world were untrue, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he found that some of the records were indeed true. Gongxi Chou was truly a scourge, it was just a pity that he hadn't been able to take his life during his advancement tribulation last time.
It's too late to regret these things now.
The most urgent task is to find a way to resolve the issue between the two.
He turned his hopeful gaze toward the embodiment of Wen Qi beside him.
He said with a hint of respect, "Please, sir, make your move."
This scholar's origins are extremely mysterious.
He originally served Zheng Qiao, but for some reason ended up working for Huang Lie and even became acquainted with one of Huang Lie's sixteenth-rank Grand Masters. Before he appeared, Huang Lie had a group of heavy shield warriors on the verge of collapse, their bodies writhing and out of control due to the rampant and unruly Gu worms within them.
In the past, they were always dealt with by killing the worms. But this person appeared and calmed them down. Having worked with worms before, Zhang He knew very well the difficulty involved and was even more wary of this person. Unfortunately, he couldn't get any useful information from his private inquiries.
They didn't even know the other person's background or name.
The man with the refined demeanor said in a sinister tone, "Hmph, easy enough."
So Zhang He waited with full confidence.
result--
All that came was a puzzled "Eh?" from the scholar.
The next second, the illusory figure wielding the wooden staff and chasing after Shen Tang seemed to sense something, turned its head to face this way, and then swung out another dark green needle! Zhang He was still unaware of what had happened when the scream from the Wen Qi avatar abruptly stopped and it dissipated on the spot.
The illusory voice was indifferent: "Overestimating yourself."
Shen Tang also noticed the commotion around Zhang He. She and Gong Xichou were each responsible for one of the two armies, protecting each other's blind spots. After a brief encounter, she asked, "What happened?"
Gong Xichou was somewhat speechless.
"He wants to control my Gu worms."
Ah, who gave him the courage to play with Gu worms in front of the Gongxi tribe's high priest? Even without the high priest's guidance, the Gu worms within his body are a treasure of the tribe. Do you know what a treasure is? They are the king of kings among Gu worms! And he thinks he can control a riot?
I want to daydream before dawn.
|ω`)
The courier gave me double compensation, so I had a delicious meal of thirteen-spice crayfish today.
(End of this chapter)
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