: Who is the Real Commander?

Several Golden Core level cultivators attacked together. Even though they were intercepted, only a little over thirty cultivators fell in battle.

The result was pitifully small.

This was because the Three Generals Camp itself was part of the standing army of the Two Notes Kingdom, integrated into the national defense and blessed with the nation's strength. Any external attack would inevitably be weakened by the national defense.

Moreover, the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp had been maintaining their formation, marching in a Single File Serpent Array, their military strength concentrated and unified, thus possessing a certain defensive capability.

But when Liu Er, Zhang Hei, and the others saw such losses, they shouted in shock and fury.

The Three Generals Camp wasn't large to begin with, having only a little over three hundred people.

The first wave of attacks had already killed one-tenth of them. Another two or three waves, and morale would collapse, the army would scatter and flee.

This army was not the Golden Halberd Army; it was newly established and had the shallowest foundations among all the armies.

Once casualties reached around thirty percent, the cultivators would become terrified and flee in all directions.

Calling them a motley crew was quite fitting.

"Change formation!"

"Change formation!"

Liu Er and Zhang Hei roared simultaneously.

On the other side, Guan Hong gritted his teeth, enduring severe pain. He had just taken a pill to stabilize his injury and hastily bandaged his right arm.

The injury to his right arm was severe, almost crippling it.

But now that the army was under attack, hearing Liu Er and Zhang Hei's telepathic messages, he knew he had to hold on!

Guan Hong mobilized his magic power, coordinated with Liu Er and Zhang Hei, directed the surrounding soldiers, and began changing the formation.

The Single File Serpent Array was very suitable for marching, but when dealing with a small number of powerful elite enemies, the battle line became too long, with the head and tail too far apart to support each other effectively.

Fortunately, the three generals had undergone special training, arduous and rigorous, mainly practicing two sets of battle formations.

The Single File Serpent Array was actually practiced later; most of their effort and time had been spent on the Triangular Arrowhead Formation.

The soldiers of the Three Generals Camp, their scalps numb, hurriedly obeyed orders and adjusted urgently according to their daily training.

They still had their wits about them, knowing that if Qi Refining and Foundation Building level cultivators like them scattered and fled, they would be slaughtered by the Golden Core cultivators without a chance of survival. Instead, maintaining the formation allowed them to rely on the battle array and the nation's might for self-preservation.

If they were lucky enough to repel the invading Golden Core cultivators, they might even earn some military merit!

For a moment, the long serpent on the mountain path pulled back its head, curled its tail, and coiled into a tight group.

"Quick, attack them now!" Chen Lingfeng urgently sent a telepathic message, taking command.

Changing formations had its intricacies.

A rash change in formation could create vulnerabilities.

Referencing how the White Jade Camp dealt with Tu Ming, when Shuang Jing commanded the battle, during the formation change, only the inner elite troops and personal guards were used to alter the formation, while the outer layer still maintained the Jade Wall Sky Moat Array.

This was to cover up the vulnerabilities during the formation change.

But the Three Generators Camp couldn't do this.

On one hand, the Three Generals Camp had too few people, only about three hundred, unable to form two sets of battle formations inside and out.

On the other hand, their training was insufficient. This weakness of the Three Generals Camp was even greater than that of the Barbarian Demon Camp! At least Xu Dali of the Barbarian Demon Camp had his own personal guards and elites, but Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang were all loners who started from scratch to form this army.

Fortunately, the enemies they faced now weren't as numerous or strong as those the Barbarian Demon Camp had to deal with.

Wind Movement Spell - Obscuring Winds!

Chen Lingfeng flapped the wings on his back, activated his innate talent, and cast a spell.

Instantly, the world turned gloomy and colorless, a gale swept through, making the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp unable to keep their eyes open. Some even struggled to stay on their feet, their bodies swaying, nearly blown away by the fierce wind!

Wu Hen had fled to a safe area.

"I'll join in!"

Strange Path - Shadow Threads Entanglement!

The edges of Wu Hen's black robe wildly emitted shadows.

The shadows surged like a dark tide, clinging to the ground as they assaulted the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp.

The soldiers of the Three Generals Camp were all gathered together, their shadows also connecting into patches, which made Wu Hen's attack very convenient.

Liu Er shouted loudly. Amidst the gloomy gale, he rode his Yellow Stallion, raising high the Xuanhuang Sword!

Military Tactic - Hold the Land, Secure the Foundation.

This was the inherent military tactic within the Xuanhuang Sword. Once activated, it immediately transformed into rings of earthy yellow light, bestowing their power upon every soldier.

The light rings rapidly expanded, enveloping the entire army, forming a sturdy defense that resisted the buffeting winds, but they couldn't stop the surging tide of shadows on the ground.

This was the advantage of the Strange Path.

Wu Hen proceeded unhindered, making contact with the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp.

"Got you," he grinned, emitting a chilling, sinister laugh.

The next moment, the shadows of the soldiers Wu Hen touched rebelled, transforming into strands of shadow threads that rose from the ground, entangling their owners' legs, feet, and limbs, restricting their movements.

Instantly, the speed of the formation change slowed considerably.

Many soldiers fell to the ground, struggling frantically but unable to break free from the shadow threads' bindings.

Some, in their anxiety, used spells or magical tools to attack their own shadows.

As a result, along with the damage to their shadows, corresponding injuries appeared on their physical bodies!

This left them in a dilemma, feeling utterly helpless.

"Good, very good."

Another Golden Core cultivator, named Luo Xiwei, practiced the earth-element cultivation method "Earth Passage Art" and was skilled at digging tunnels.

According to the prior arrangement, he acted next, wielding the magical tool Earth Vein Five-Section Staff, and cast an earth-element spell.

Instantly, the mountainous terrain changed, the solid rocky ground rapidly softening and loosening, finally turning into large areas of quicksand.

The soldiers of the Three Generals Camp, already entangled and bound by shadow threads and unable to move, could only watch helplessly as they were swallowed by the quicksand.

The quicksand move was particularly vicious.

It wouldn't kill the soldiers immediately, but would make them watch themselves slide into the abyss of death, greatly shaking their fighting spirit and consequently动摇 the entire army's morale.

"How hateful!" Liu Er was extremely anxious.

Generals Guan and Zhang also gnashed their teeth in fury.

The weapons in their hands each contained one military tactic, but both were for offense.

Now, the Triangular Arrowhead Formation required the three generals to act as the core to maintain it. If any one general charged out to fight, it would inevitably cause a corner of the battle formation to collapse, creating a vulnerability large enough for the other Golden Core cultivators to exploit with fierce attacks, causing heavy casualties among the soldiers.

The three generals naturally didn't want to see this happen; this was their only asset.

But the Triangular Arrowhead Formation's own defense wasn't outstanding either. Continuing like this, bleeding steadily, it would eventually collapse sooner or later.

Zhang Hei was suddenly struck by a thought, shuddering in alarm. He couldn't help but send a telepathic message, exclaiming loudly, "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, isn't this exactly the prophetic poem the Strategist divined!"

That prophetic poem—

Hoofbeats trample falling flowers, wind rises, shadows sink into sand.

Who can keep the moon bright? Who again buries the mist and glow?

The current situation perfectly matched the line "wind rises, shadows sink into sand," fitting to an unparalleled degree!

Liu Er and Guan Hong had actually thought of it already and sent messages advising Zhang Hei not to speak carelessly.

Now, army morale was already severely shaken, the three generals were struggling to hold on. If even the three generals panicked, the battle situation would completely deteriorate beyond recovery.

Zhang Hei fell silent, inwardly muttering, full of regret, "If I had known this would happen, we should have listened more to the Strategist's words."

Ning Zhuo's divine sense had long penetrated the carriage, observing the battlefield. Seeing this scene, he felt a strange emotion.

"That prophetic poem I just randomly came up with actually matches?"

"How did that happen?"

"It must be a coincidence."

At this moment, he hadn't yet guessed that this was the Ink Abyss Lord proactively proposing to adapt the plan to the circumstance.

This scheme was indeed ingenious. Even if the three Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang hadn't publicized it, their own hearts were already shaken because of it!

They were the foundation of the army's morale. Once their hearts were in turmoil, it immediately affected the entire battle formation's power.

The attacking Golden Core cultivators suddenly felt much more at ease, and the soldiers sank into the quicksand even faster.

"Could it be that our army is doomed to be annihilated today?!" Liu Er couldn't help but feel despair.

"If we're going to be wiped out sooner or later, we might as well charge out now and fight to our heart's content!" Zhang Hei gritted his teeth, a fierce light in his eyes.

Guan Hong's face was cold: "Since we can't change the situation, we might as well take a risk and charge into battle once."

If they did this, the number of soldier casualties would likely be enormous, but the three generals seemed to have no other choice.

"Three Generals, do not worry. Watch me employ my methods." At the critical moment, a young cultivator stepped out of the carriage compartment.

It was Ning Zhuo!

To his right was the Heavy Blood Ape - Da Sheng, to his left was the Buddhist Physician - Meng Yaoyin.

The Mechanical Swimming Dragon was no longer at Ning Zhuo's waist; Sun Lingtong had already quietly left this army some time ago.

Ning Zhuo took out his small Strategist Seal, splitting his focus twofold. While activating the seal, he simultaneously cast a spell.

Earth Movement - Solidify Sand and Earth!

He was an officially appointed Strategist, enjoying the Two Notes Kingdom's national defense and the Triangular Arrowhead Formation's enhancements. The battle formation itself could amplify offensive power, making his spells exceptionally sharp.

Immediately, a yellow wind swept out from Ning Zhuo as the center.

Wherever the yellow wind blew, the quicksand solidified, restoring it to firm ground.

Golden Core cultivator Luo Xiwei, who had to resist the national defense, saw the actual power of his spell greatly reduced. He had been attacking with his spell for a while already, himself suffering from the backlash of the nation's might, his combat power rapidly declining.

In contrast, Ning Zhuo, receiving enhancements, was like a fish in water.

With one gaining and the other losing, Ning Zhuo's spells continuously prevailed, causing Luo Xiwei's magic to retreat step by step.

In mere moments, the ground of the Three Generals Camp was restored to its original state!

"It's that Ning Zhuo!" Chen Lingfeng, looking down on the battlefield from above, saw this scene and felt some resentment.

"Wu Hen made the wrong choice."

"He attacked the three generals but didn't succeed in killing even one. It would have been better to concentrate force and target Ning Zhuo instead."

Luo Xiwei also felt great regret: "I was about to succeed! I never expected Ning Zhuo to actually master a spell specifically countering mine. His luck is just too good."

He didn't know that Ning Zhuo had observed for a while, learned the principles behind his quicksand spell, and then applied them in reverse, temporarily creating this application.

"It's him!" Wu Hen saw Ning Zhuo and felt a stir in his heart.

When he infiltrated the carriage and saw Ning Zhuo for the first time, he had a premonition that this young cultivator would be trouble.

Now, his premonition had come true!

Wu Hen sharply clenched his five fingers, pulling on countless shadow threads, attacking Ning Zhuo from all directions.

"Protect the Strategist!" Liu Er shouted.

Without a doubt, Ning Zhuo was the key to defense!

Guan Hong was too far away, but Zhang Hei had already started moving, rushing towards Ning Zhuo.

Facing the myriad shadow threads, Ning Zhuo stood firm and unmoving.

The Buddhist Physician - Meng Yaoyin gently swung her arm. The mechanical sickle swept in an arc through the air, then lightly stopped, returning to its original position.

Whoosh!

It sounded like waves crashing against a reef. The myriad shadow threads disintegrated, completely collapsing.

Wu Hen's body shuddered, his face changed dramatically, blood trickling from his nose and mouth: "Such a powerful Night Rain Demon Soldier!"

The three Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, who witnessed this scene, also felt a tremor in their hearts. Zhang Hei, being the closest, even felt a chill on his neck.

The three generals were greatly shocked, thinking that their own Strategist actually possessed such formidable Golden Core level combat power!

"He seems stronger than me."

"This... who is the real commander here?" Liu Er felt both惊喜 and a sense of absurdity.

(End of )