Chapter 421 - 320: Thick Earth Mei Susu (3)
"That’s a detachment from the Spirit Wood Alliance. Though small in number, they’ve circled around to the Pill Alliance’s flank and rear. The Spirit Wood Alliance’s leader is Chai Yi. I know of him—he never acts without purpose. A detached force like that can’t last long on its own, and speed is of the essence in war. So, I’m certain the Spirit Wood Alliance is about to launch their main attack.
Also, a battle formation of over ten thousand Cultivators consumes a massive amount of supplies each day. The Pill Alliance primarily deals in Elixir Pills, so they’re wealthy and can afford a stalemate. The Spirit Wood Alliance, however, cannot. Over the past month, both sides have had time to size each other up. It’s time they finally clashed."
Mei Susu carefully analyzed the combat strength and intentions of both sides, and Fang Qingyuan found himself in complete agreement as he listened. Her assessment accurately reflected the current situation on the battlefield.
However, for Fang Qingyuan to praise Mei Susu out loud... well, they weren’t that close. Even though the past month had forced them to become nodding acquaintances who were always running into each other.
So Fang Qingyuan gave a slight nod, his gaze following Mei Susu’s to survey the world below.
Gazing down from an altitude of ten thousand meters, even the battle formations that seethed with a murderous aura seemed minuscule. From Fang Qingyuan’s current perspective, he was like a Divine Spirit watching two ant colonies go to war—vast and detached.
Just as Mei Susu had predicted, the Spirit Wood Alliance made the first move after a standoff of nearly a month. The grand Myriad Woods Hoarfrost Array, formed by a battle formation of ten thousand men, began to move. As eight thousand Qi Cultivation Disciples, wielding Command Flags, advanced step by step toward the Pill Alliance’s formation, the sheer force of their momentum seemed to surge into the heavens.
In large-scale military engagements involving more than a hundred people, victory hinges on discipline and strategy. In a one-on-one duel, a White Mountain Loose Cultivator could effortlessly defeat someone from Qi Yun of the same realm. In a group of about ten, the Qi Yun People would lose more often than not. But in a battle of over a hundred, it would be the Qi Yun People who won every single time.
Such was the importance of discipline. In the face of a ten-thousand-man battle formation, not even a Nascent Soul Cultivator would dare to charge in recklessly. This was the power of the collective.
The Spiritual Power within the eight thousand Qi Cultivation Cultivators slowly flowed through the Command Flags they clutched, channeling into the grand array’s central hub. From there, it was directed through array pillars mounted on eighteen giant, stele-carrying beasts at the heart of the formation, projecting a massive array that enveloped an area ten li across.
Within the array, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator acted as an overseer for every thirty men. For every fifty of these smaller squads, a Golden Core Cultivator was in command.
Behind the main force, the Spirit Wood Alliance had also dispatched a disciplinary squad responsible for dealing with any Cultivators who tried to desert.
Furthermore, over a hundred flying Foundation Establishment Cultivators patrolled the skies, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice. At the very heart of the Battle Array, a grave-faced Chai Yi was rapidly issuing a stream of commands.
The grand array, ten li across, was completely opaque from the outside; one could only see illusions of ancient trees and frosted leaves. As this colossal entity began to move, Fang Qingyuan, watching from high above, subconsciously perceived it as a single, living behemoth.
As the behemoth advanced, the Spirit Wood Alliance’s battle formation finally reached its designated position. With flashes of golden light, a dozen or so Golden Armor Music Puppets, each several tens of zhang tall, materialized out of thin air. One hand holding a gong and the other a mallet, they strode toward the Pill Alliance’s position.
At the same time, from the Spirit Wood Alliance’s position, logs of Cang Wood, each emanating an aura of death, flew over the heads of the Golden Armor Music Puppets like a torrential downpour, raining down upon the Pill Alliance.