Free Web NovelChapter 406: Chapter 364: Fallen Into the Trap
Yang Jiye’s gaze locked onto the Grand Array on Qingli Mountain. He knew the enemy must have already sent out a message, and time was running short.
"Although our side is weaker, we have an excellent local intelligence system and the speed advantage of the Void-Soaring and Distant-Guarding Divine Ship, allowing us to maneuver and strike, attempt to split the enemy forces into several groups, thereby creating a local advantage in numbers."
This was the new plan Lu Qian devised before setting out.
Under this plan, Yang Jiye did not retreat to Liuhua Valley. Instead, he mobilized the divine ship and thirty elites from Liuhua Valley to rendezvous at Qingli Mountain, then lay in ambush around the mountain, quietly waiting for the Xuanguang Sect’s enemy troops to arrive.
Seeing the enemy split off a small force to guard while the main force continued to advance toward Liuhua Valley, Yang Jiye was so delighted he almost jumped for joy.
The Sect Leader’s military strategy is extraordinary; the enemy has fallen into the trap!
Subsequently, from Shuangye Square, twenty law enforcement cultivators of the Shuangye Alliance were drawn northward to aid and join Yang Jiye’s command. With this, Yang Jiye now commanded eighty elites and two divine ships.
With such a force, capturing Qingli Mountain now is no problem!
Seeing the divine ships already in position, Yang Jiye wasted no words, shouting, "Attack!"
The rumbling of cannons roared to life, and over a hundred spiritual light beams fiercely bombarded Qingli Mountain!
Around Yang Jiye, purple light flashed, and what was once a ring of swords and hammers had been replaced with dual swords and dual hammers, all of significant power as high-tier spiritual artifacts, with several other artifacts in reserve.
The Dao Pattern "Breaking the Sky" activated, the crystal sword with a sharp chill, the bone-transforming sword infused with lethal poison, the immensely heavy star-breaking hammer, and the light yet sturdy wind-chasing hammer roared forth. In a flash, they reached the Six Harmonies Grand Array, smashing through barrier after barrier with a crash.
The Qi Cultivation elites of the Shuangye Alliance also approached; this Six Harmonies Grand Array wouldn’t hold for much longer.
Just as Xu Chengyun was flying over Liuhua Valley, seeing the equally barren landscape, he received a message from the Qingli Mountain garrison, filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
Damn, Yang Jiye was lying in ambush there all along!
Beside him, the newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator Mo Hua exclaimed, "Sect Leader, we must swiftly rescue Qingli Mountain!"
Xu Chengyun, known for his prudence and caution, shook his head at this moment. "It’s too late; the enemy has one Foundation Establishment cultivator, seventy to eighty Qi Cultivation elites, and two enemy ships. It would take our floating battleship and Qi cultivators an hour to fly back to Qingli Mountain, by which time the mountain would already have been captured. Even if the three of us Foundation Establishment cultivators abandoned the main army to personally aid, we might not defeat the enemy and could fall into a trap."
Another newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator, a female named Wen Luhuan, frowned. "Sect Leader, we cannot let the Shuangye Alliance reclaim Qingli Mountain; otherwise, Liuhua Valley will become a dangerous enclave, useless even if occupied."
Xu Chengyun nodded in agreement, narrowing his eyes in deep thought. "Lu Qian’s tactics, I already understand. They have long managed Qingli Mountain and Liuhua Valley, with numerous hidden sentries around. If our army moves, they’ll detect and report it."
"Their elite floating battleships are incredibly fast; they can roam and strike at will. If we counterattack Qingli Mountain but leave too few troops in Liuhua Valley, they’ll abandon Qingli Mountain to swiftly attack Liuhua Valley. If we garrison Liuhua Valley with many troops, our force for attacking Qingli Mountain would be insufficient, allowing them to hold the mountain and make it difficult for us to capture."
"Lu Qian is quite a tricky adversary indeed. Even with minimal forces, he can make a spectacle; no wonder he’s a significant threat to our faction."
Mo Hua and Wen Luhuan exchanged serious glances. Though they saw through Lu Qian’s scheme, they felt a sense of helplessness in resolving it.
But then Xu Chengyun laughed, "If there’s no other way at this moment, our best option is to abandon Liuhua Valley and counterattack at Qingli Mountain. We just need to occupy the mountain closer to our faction as a forward base and proceed from there."
"However, with this approach, this battle mission is largely a failure."
"Fortunately, I have a clever plan and strong reinforcements at hand!"
"I shall send the message now!"
A moment later, a Mountain Protection Grand Array was also erected in Liuhua Valley, and three floating battleships rose into the air, flying towards Qingli Mountain.
The hidden sentries of the Shuangye Alliance instantly relayed this intelligence from the hills near Liuhua Valley.
"Three floating battleships? And all cultivators are hunkered within, making it hard to tell how many Foundation Establishments or Qi Cultivators there are?" Having successfully recaptured Qingli Mountain, Yang Jiye couldn’t help but feel a headache.
This past battle eliminated thirty enemy Qi Cultivation elites, though his side suffered six or seven casualties.
Now, three enemy floating battleships aren’t frightening; the trouble is deciphering how many enemy forces are hidden within.
If the enemy has only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators and a few hundred Qi Cultivators, he could defend the array and hold his ground.
But if the enemy left only two empty-shell floating battleships in Liuhua Valley and gathered three Foundation Establishment cultivators and other strengths, holding this ground would be very dangerous.
Damn, the enemy commander is also a tough adversary.
Experiencing a throbbing headache, Yang Jiye quickly pulled out the Thousand-Mile Mirror to contact Lu Qian, but he couldn’t connect, suggesting that Golden Dawn Peak was still besieged.
The Sect Leader is now surrounded, making the outcome of this battle rest in my hands.
With this thought, Yang Jiye felt even more pressure. He pondered deeply and decided to play it safe, first retreating from Qingli Mountain. Then he’d use the divine ship’s escape speed to circle around to Liuhua Valley to assess the situation.
Accordingly, he ordered to sweep the mountain of supplies and spoils, and the two divine ships rose into the air.
Over half an hour later, looking at Liuhua Valley, enveloped in lush greenery and blooming flowers, with raised barriers, Yang Jiye hesitated for a moment before instructing, "Let’s first test the waters. At my command, if the situation looks bad, retreat immediately."
No matter what, there are only two enemy ships currently in the valley. As long as our divine ships don’t advance recklessly, even if the enemy’s strength in the valley exceeds expectations, relying on the divine ship’s escape speed, they can’t be surrounded.
If we can’t strike here, we’ll retreat to attack Qingli Mountain; wherever there are fewer people, that’s where we’ll strike.
Yang Jiye believed he had grasped the essence of guerrilla tactics. With a command, the two divine ships emerged from behind the mountains, shooting towards Liuhua Valley, with the spiritual power cannon barrels glimmering and trembling.
"Open fire!"
Upon entering range, the two divine ships deftly spun, traversing sideways to reveal the cannon barrels. With a thunderous roar, the spiritual light beams bombarded Liuhua Valley, splintering the light shield of the Grand Array with fractures.
Yang Jiye hovered in the air, the Purple Qi Celestial Net grasping his dual swords and dual hammers fiercely swung, propelled by the Dao Patterns, striking the Grand Array.
Seeing the array’s light shield about to shatter, a smile just rising on Yang Jiye’s face, two escape lights shot forth, followed by two floating battleships and dozens of Qi Cultivation elites fleeing from the array!
This is the true main force of the Xuanguang Sect!
The leader shouted, "Yang Jiye, you’ve fallen into the trap!"
It was Xu Chengyun, the Sect Leader of the Xuanguang Sect.
