Chapter 308: Extermination
Chapter 308: Extermination
"Join the Dao Soldier Division, and I'll protect you!" Commander Yang promised, thumping his chest.
"What big words for just a Foundation Establishment cultivator like you?" Zhang Lan scoffed.
Commander Yang glared at him. "I may only be at the Foundation Establishment stage, but at least I'm not like some who haven't even reached that yet."
Zhang Lan didn't argue further. Instead, he turned to Mo Hua with a serious expression and said, "Mo Hua has a weak body since birth and cannot train his physique. Joining the Dao Soldiers and engaging in chaotic battles would be extremely dangerous for him."
"Of course, he won't be doing that kind of work," Commander Yang said. "In military campaigns, the most difficult part is to 'know your enemy and know yourself.' He's skilled in concealment techniques, which can be used for scouting and, in retreat, for self-preservation."
"But isn't scouting dangerous?"
"Fine, forget about scouting then," Commander Yang conceded, taking a step back. "He can just draw formations."
Mo Hua asked, "Is the Dao Soldier Division also lacking in formation masters?"
Commander Yang replied vaguely, "Not that lacking..."
Zhang Lan snorted derisively. "Don't listen to his nonsense. Where aren't formation masters lacking in the cultivation world? Even those heretical cultivators, when they built Black Mountain Village, relied on their third master, a heretical formation master, didn't they?"
"Not to mention the Dao Soldier Division, a place that's dirty, tiring, and always risky. Formation masters are usually too esteemed to go there."
Commander Yang's face reddened slightly as Zhang Lan hit the mark, but he persisted, "Precisely because of that, a formation master skilled in concealment and self-preservation would be all the more valuable on the battlefield."
Commander Yang looked at Mo Hua with a solemn expression. "As long as you're willing to join the Dao Soldier Division, I can even apply to the higher-ups to make you a deputy commander."
"Then you can follow me. My Yang family has deep connections in the Dao Soldier Division. With our protection, no one will dare bully you!"
Mo Hua was hesitant, not because he disliked hard work or was afraid of danger, but because joining the Dao Soldier Division would mean leaving his hometown and traveling constantly.
He still wanted to learn formation techniques from Mr. Zhuang and support his parents when they grew older.
Seeing Mo Hua's furrowed brows and hesitant expression, Commander Yang quickly added, "You're still young, so there's no need to rush your decision. Take your time to consider it. Even if you don't join now, you can always change your mind later and find me at the Dao Soldier Division. Just mention my name, Yang Jiyong."
Yang Jiyong...
Mo Hua nodded silently, committing the name to memory, and then expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Commander Yang."
Commander Yang smiled. "No need to be so polite. Just call Zhang Lan 'Uncle Zhang' and me 'Uncle Yang.'"
"Uncle Yang," Mo Hua said.
Commander Yang nodded, a broad smile spreading across his face.
Zhang Lan sighed and said helplessly, "Yang Jiyong, after all these years, you're still so shameless!"
Commander Yang coldly humphed, "You're not any better."
With the map of the Mist Forest and Black Mountain Village in hand, Commander Yang and Zhang Lan spent a day planning the initial steps for the extermination of Black Mountain Village.
The next day, several factions within Tongxian City gathered at the Dao Court Division to discuss the extermination plan.
Present were Commander Yang from the Dao Soldier Division, the old chief judge and archivist Zhang Lan from the Dao Court Division, as well as Elder Yu, Mo Shan, and Yu Chengyi from the Demon Hunter's Guild.
Mo Hua sat beside them on a small stool, listening to the discussion.
Commander Yang got straight to the point. "There have been changes to the formations in the Mist Forest, and the heretical cultivators may have sensed something. If we act now, we might alert them and fail to eradicate them completely."
"The best course of action is to have the demon hunters launch a feigned attack to lure out the heretics, and then the Dao Soldiers will surround and annihilate them, accomplishing our goal in one fell swoop!"
"Black Mountain Village has four Foundation Establishment heretics, but they might not all be in the village. However, we should prepare for the worst. Chief Zhou, Elder Yu, and I will each take on one of them. I'll also assign two teams of our best Dao Soldiers, equipped with the finest armor, to take down another Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"Once there are casualties on their side, we can take advantage of our numbers and establish a decisive victory.
Commander Yang delved into the specifics of the extermination plan, explaining the route into the mountains, the positions of the demon hunters, and the ambush locations for the Dao Soldiers. He also outlined the strategy for attacking the village, the extent of the feigned assault, and the retreat plan, including where to fall back to and how the different forces would coordinate their movements. He even accounted for when the Dao Soldiers would charge into battle... and so on.
Elder Yu and the others asked questions or offered their opinions, to which Commander Yang provided answers or considered their suggestions. After discussing for half a day, the plan gradually took shape.
Mo Hua just listened from the side.
He was not well-versed in military matters, and both Commander Yang, an expert in warfare, and Elder Yu from the Demon Hunter's Guild were far more knowledgeable than him.
It was a valuable opportunity to learn.
Mo Hua listened intently, absorbing as much as he could.
After the meeting concluded, the group dispersed, with Mo Hua lingering behind. He quietly asked Zhang Lan, "Uncle Zhang, do you think there will be any problems?"
Zhang Lan patted Mo Hua's shoulder and replied, "There are risks in everything, but the risks for this battle are already minimal."
"Why?" Mo Hua asked.
"First, because of the intelligence you overheard," Zhang Lan explained, "and second, the Dao Soldiers of the Dao Court are even stronger than you think."
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, confused. "Are they really that strong?"
"Of course," Zhang Lan assured him. "The reason the Dao Court was able to unify the cultivation world is because of their formidable Dao Soldiers. When hundreds or even thousands of Dao Soldiers engage in large-scale warfare, it's a completely different matter from duels between ordinary cultivators."
Mo Hua, having never witnessed such a sight, didn't fully understand, but he nodded slightly, feeling somewhat reassured.
Commander Yang was known for his decisiveness and efficiency. Within two days of finalizing the plan, he had assembled the necessary forces.
Before the hour of the rabbit (5-7 am)
, while the sky was still veiled in predawn darkness, 300 experienced Demon Hunters at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, along with 300 well-trained Dao Soldiers, set out towards the depths of the mountains under the leadership of Commander Yang, Elder Yu, Chief Zhou, and Zhang Lan. They took advantage of the murky dawn light as cover, moving silently and stealthily.
Mo Hua wanted to join them, but his wish was met with firm opposition from everyone.
Not only did his father, Mo Shan, refuse to let him go, but even Chief Zhou, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Yu Chengyi, and Commander Yang were against it.
While they didn't mind sustaining injuries themselves, they couldn't bear the thought of Mo Hua getting hurt.
Reluctantly, Mo Hua stayed behind at the Dao Soldier camp on Unnamed Peak.
The camp was located in the inner mountains, relatively safer than the front lines, and if they encountered any tricky formations during the attack on Black Mountain Village, they could always return and ask Mo Hua for advice.
Some Dao Soldiers were left at the camp to both guard the site and protect Mo Hua.
Mo Hua remained in the camp, spending the entire night practicing formation techniques on the Dao stele in his spiritual sea. As dawn broke, distant sounds of battle finally reached them.
Even from afar, the fierce battle cries and intense killing intent were palpable. Without the need for spiritual sense, one could feel the powerful fluctuations of spiritual power in the air.
It was the clash of hundreds of ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators, along with fully unleashed Foundation Establishment cultivators!
Mo Hua's brows furrowed with worry.
His father, Mo Shan, and many of his beloved uncles were deep in the mountains, locked in a brutal battle with the vicious heretical cultivators.
Mo Hua wanted to go and see, but he restrained himself.
He knew that going there now wouldn't be of much help, and he might only end up causing more trouble.
Instead, Mo Hua forced himself to focus on drawing formations to calm his anxious mind.
The fierce battle within Black Mountain Village raged on for three days. Finally, on the third day, news arrived.
The Dao Soldiers and Demon Hunters had sustained minimal casualties, and most of their injuries were minor.
As for Black Mountain Village, the stronghold that had stood for hundreds of years in the depths of the mountains, it had been utterly vanquished!
(End of Chapter)
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