Chapter 305: Mighty Soldiers
Chapter 305: Mighty Soldiers
Although Yang Tongling had his doubts, the evidence was right before his eyes, and he could only accept the truth, incredible as it was.
Mo Hu had begun explaining the formations on the Black Mountain Fortress map.
He described the types of formations drawn on different parts of the mountain fortress, their purposes, what would happen if one tried to forcefully break through them, and the consequences of leaving them untouched.
Mo Hu also explained the overall design philosophy behind the fortress's formations, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, and suggesting the best route for an offensive strategy.
He indicated hidden passages and escape routes that needed to be blocked in advance to prevent the heretic cultivators from fleeing...
...
The more Yang Tongling listened, the more astonished he became.
Mo Hu's understanding of formations far exceeded his own. Many of the formation principles being discussed were so advanced that Yang Tongling struggled to follow along, let alone fully comprehend them.
The last time he had felt this way was back in the clan school, when he had scratched his head trying to understand his formation teacher's lessons.
Yang Tongling stole a glance at Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan's expression was much calmer, though it seemed more numb than serene, as if he had tuned out after finding the lesson too difficult to understand, just like in class.
Yang Tongling felt a bit more at ease.
He had known it all along—Zhang Lan was no better than him.
His own proficiency in formations was lacking, and what little he had learned was insignificant compared to the knowledge of a true formation master.
While Zhang Lan might be slightly better than him, the gap wasn't significant, and he wouldn't be able to understand these advanced formations either.
Yang Tongling silently looked down on Zhang Lan and then focused his attention on listening to Mo Hu, who explained the formations in a crisp and youthful voice.
He needed to understand the terrain and formation layout of Black Mountain Fortress to devise an effective strategy.
Although he didn't need to understand every formation intimately, he needed to know their functions and the precautions to take when breaking them to avoid falling into the heretic cultivators' traps.
The first-rate compound formations were beyond his understanding of formations, but fortunately, Mo Hu explained them clearly and comprehensively. Mo Hu addressed the points that Yang Tongling noticed and also provided detailed explanations for the things he might have overlooked.
As the explanation progressed, Yang Tongling listened with increasing seriousness, even taking notes from time to time.
After Mo Hu spent most of the day explaining the formations on the Black Mountain Fortress map, Yang Tongling was left deeply impressed, and his feelings were complicated.
He was amazed that Mo Hu, despite his young age, possessed such profound knowledge of formations.
On the other hand, he realized that he had never paid this much attention in his formation classes back in the clan school, yet here he was, listening intently to a young formation master and even taking notes...
Unconsciously, Yang Tongling's attitude towards Mo Hu became more respectful.
This was the respect due to a first-rate formation master.
In fact, Mo Hu's proficiency in formations was evidently superior to most of the first-rate formation masters he knew.
Yang Tongling couldn't help but exclaim in wonder, and then he ordered someone to serve tea, cakes, and several plates of spirit fruits and spirit meat to treat Mo Hu.
"Please help yourself, Little Mo. Don't be polite." Yang Tongling's tone was very polite.
"Thank you, Commander Yang!"
After talking for so long, Mo Hu was also a little thirsty. He put aside his reservations and sat down properly to drink the sweet tea and try some of the spirit fruits and spirit meat that he hadn't tasted before.
Yang Tongling held the annotated map, and Zhang Lan discussed something on the side.
They didn't try to avoid Mo Hu, so he listened openly to their conversation.
However, most of what they talked about were deployment strategies, offensive and defensive tactics, and troop formations, which he didn't understand well, so he could only listen half-heartedly and try to remember some of it, hoping that it might be useful in the future.
Mo Hu listened with interest while enjoying the delicious food.
When the two finished their discussion, Mo Hu, now full and satisfied, asked the question that concerned him the most: "Commander Yang, will we be able to destroy Black Mountain Fortress this time?"
Yang Tongling thought for a moment, considering the plan they had just discussed, and then answered decisively, "Yes!"
Mo Hu's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Yang Tongling nodded and explained, "The Dao soldiers can be said to be the most elite cultivators of the Dao Court. Their strength does not lie in the individual cultivator's level of cultivation, but in the combination of armor, spiritual tools, formations, and the compatibility of their spiritual roots, cultivation techniques, and Daoist methods."
"A Dao soldier squad consists of ten people, preferably with similar or complementary spiritual roots and compatible cultivation techniques. They wear exquisite armor and wield sharp weapons, which are also inscribed with formations that enhance their cohesion and morale. When facing cultivators of the same level, they can be said to be invincible."
"They even have a chance against cultivators of higher levels!"
"So, even against many more Foundation Establishment cultivators, we can still win?"
However, through Mo Hua's perception, there seemed to be only one Zhujiji stage cultivator among the Dao soldiers, their commander, Yang Tongling.
Instead of answering, Yang Tongling asked Mo Hua, "How do Qi Refining cultivators fare against Foundation Establishment cultivators?"
Mo Hua recalled Elder Yu's previous words and replied, "Ten Qi Refining cultivators at the ninth layer can match a single Foundation Establishment cultivator at the early stage."
"That's true, but it's not the entire picture." Yang Tongling elaborated, "Not just any ten Qi Refining cultivators at the ninth layer can rival a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"Usually, if Qi Refining cultivators at the ninth layer lack sufficient battle experience and don't coordinate well with each other, even a group of more than ten can be taken down by a Foundation Establishment cultivator who exploits their weaknesses."
"Only those Qi Refining cultivators at the ninth layer who are battle-hardened, possess ample experience, demonstrate unwavering resolve, and coordinate seamlessly can hope to overcome a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"So, that's how the Dao soldiers are trained?" Mo Hua asked.
Yang Tongling nodded, "Not only that, but the Dao soldiers are also bolstered by specialized armor and array support. When they form squads and battle as a unit, they can even slay Foundation Establishment cultivators head-on!"
Mo Hua's heart stirred with awe.
The Dao soldiers were indeed formidable, and it was no wonder that the Black Mountain Fortress sect had grown so powerful while managing to remain hidden. They probably feared discovery by the Daoting and a subsequent onslaught by the Dao soldiers.
Even Qi Refining cultivators at the ninth layer, when fighting as a unit, could rival Foundation Establishment cultivators.
If one Qi Refining cultivator couldn't stand against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, then they would bring ten, and if ten weren't enough, they would bring a hundred.
Once hundreds of Dao soldiers formed a battle formation and charged into combat, a handful of higher-realm cultivators wouldn't be able to hold them off.
Suddenly, Mo Hua realized something, "This is similar to array formations. When a single array formation is insufficient, you accumulate multiple array formations to create a composite formation. And if a composite formation isn't strong enough, you accumulate even more single array formations to forge an even more powerful grand formation!"
"From grains of sand, a pagoda rises; from rivulets, a river flows. In array formations, the weak accumulates to overcome the strong, and this is also a law of heaven!"
The more Mo Hua spoke, the brighter his eyes shone.
Although Yang Tongling didn't understand array formations, he couldn't help but nod in agreement, feeling that Mo Hua's words held profound truth. Through his years of leading troops in battle, he had gained a deep understanding of this concept.
Mo Hua still had a lingering doubt, "What kind of array formations do the Dao soldiers use?"
Yang Tongling hesitated, his expression apologetic, "This is a secret of the Daoting and cannot be shared with outsiders."
In truth, it wasn't that he couldn't share the information, but rather that he himself didn't know.
These array formations were centrally managed by the Daoting and distributed by the Dao soldiers division. They were only responsible for using them and didn't even know how to set them up, let alone understand the intricacies of the formations within.
However, saying that he didn't know would be embarrassing, so he made an excuse to sidestep the question.
Mo Hua didn't suspect anything and apologized, "I was being presumptuous."
Indeed, it was inappropriate to inquire about the secret array formations of the Dao soldiers, and he had only asked out of curiosity, wanting to know how these formations compared to the ones he had studied.
"These are minor details, no need to worry about it." Yang Tongling waved his hand, feeling a bit guilty.
After chatting with Yang Tongling for a while longer, Mo Hua prepared to take his leave.
However, Yang Tongling hesitated, looking unsure of whether to speak.
Mo Hua asked, "Is there something else, Commander Yang?"
Yang Tongling glanced at Zhang Lan and sighed, "There's one more thing. The mist array in the depths of the mountain has changed, and we can't locate the Black Mountain Fortress."
He had asked Zhang Lan to find him an array master for two reasons: to explain the array formations on the Black Mountain map and to venture into the depths of the mountain to re-identify the mist array's location, making it easier for them to attack the Black Mountain Fortress.
But when he sent scouts to investigate, they discovered that the mist arrays in the mist forest had shifted, and the mist within the forest had grown denser.
Naturally, the map that Mo Hua had drawn to guide them through the mist forest was now useless.
Without a functional guide, they couldn't find the entrance to the Black Mountain Fortress, and any plans to eradicate the sect were futile.
Mo Hua hesitated, as he had promised Elder Yu that he wouldn't venture into the depths of the mountain.
Moreover, he suspected that the Third Leader was still after him.
However, if they didn't find a way through the mist forest, they wouldn't be able to deal with the Black Mountain Fortress.
Mo Hua looked at Yang Tongling and Zhang Lan and asked, "Will you two be my bodyguards?"
Yang Tongling nodded, "Zhang Lan and I will escort you there."
"What if we encounter Jiexi cultivators?"
Yang Tongling replied coldly, "I'll deploy several more squads of Dao soldiers. If we encounter any Jiexi cultivators, we'll crush them directly! I'll make sure that not a single hair on your head is harmed."
Zhang Lan added, "This is what I told Elder Yu as well. With the protection of the Dao soldiers, even if the Jiexi cultivators want to harm you, they probably won't dare. That's why he agreed to let me seek your help."
Mo Hua nodded, "Alright, let's go take a look at the mist forest."
(End of Chapter)
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