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Translator: Silavin & Tia
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
Since the Old Ancestor had spoken, Xiang Shan naturally carried out his duties.
The 300,000 troops of the Black Ink Clan Army might sound like a lot, but those numbers were not actually very high. It had to be said that the Black Ink Clan generally dispatched nearly a million troops whenever they attacked Blue Sky Pass. This number did not include the troops that would continually be dispatched to the battlefield as reinforcements. If those numbers were included, then their numbers would swell even more. Moreover, there were only a dozen or so Territory Lords among the ranks of the 300,000 troops of this Black Ink Clan Army.
In contrast, the Great Evolution Army had some 60 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Division Commanders. The combat power of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Division Commanders alone was enough to form a crushing advantage in terms of numbers. Not to mention, the Great Evolution Army also had a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor personally assuming command.
If a war broke out, this Black Ink Clan Army would crumble without much effort as long as they removed the Territory Lords quickly.
That was why it was not difficult for Xiang Shan to defeat this enemy even though they only had 30,000 against 300,000. All he needed to consider at the moment was how he could reduce the damage dealt to the Human Army. Furthermore, he had deeper considerations. It might be possible for him to use the reinforcement Army from the Great Evolution Theatre’s Black Ink Clan as a research subject to better plan out the recovery of Great Evolution Pass.
As the Army Commander of Great Evolution Pass’ Eastern Army, Xiang Shan could be considered the highest authority after the Old Ancestor; therefore, he could not be so short-sighted as to only plan for what he could see in front of him.
Following a brief discussion with Liu Zhi Ping, the two of them formulated a strategy. The Armies from the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan were bound to encounter each other in the void, so battle was inevitable.
At present, the Black Ink Clan had yet to detect the Human Army and probably never imagined that Humans would march over from the direction of the Wind and Cloud Pass. For the past 30,000 years, the Black Ink Clan had sent reinforcements to their clansmen in the Wind and Cloud Theatre countless times, and the process had always been smooth sailing with no unexpected incidents. This kind of long-term experience gradually lowered their vigilance. As a result, they didn’t even bother to send any scouts to investigate the situation of the route ahead. That was why the initiative of the current situation was completely in the hands of the Great Evolution Army.
Xiang Shan initially wanted to seek a more suitable location to carry out an ambush, but there was no such place in the vicinity. The void was vast and silent, with many places completely devoid of anything that could be used to conceal themselves. Coupled with the lack of time and their unfamiliarity with the nearby terrain, they could only choose a small field of universe fragments as their ambush location in the end.
This location was not perfect, for as long as the Black Ink Clan was even the slightest bit vigilant, they would not step into such a location so easily. Unfortunately, that could not be helped. If their ambush was exposed, then they could only opt for a direct confrontation.
Once everything was ready, various orders were conveyed throughout the fleet. The speed of the Army increased sharply as they headed straight for the area filled with universe fragments.
When all the preparations were in place, Xiang Shan finally turned around to look at the Old Ancestor, “Old Ancestor, please do not kill them all. It’s better if we let one of the Territory Lords escape alive.”
The Old Ancestor was astonished by his words, “Won’t doing that alert the enemy of our presence?”
He replied, “That’s exactly what we want.”
She frowned slightly and asked, “Why? What’s the purpose of doing that?”
Xiang Shan answered succinctly, “Great Evolution Pass has been occupied by the Black Ink Clan for the past 30,000 years, but, if my speculations are correct, the Royal Lord probably does not live in Great Evolution Pass. After all, his Black Ink Nest is his foundation, so he most likely lives in the Royal City. As for Great Evolution Pass, there will only be a few Territory Lords overseeing the area at most. Old Ancestor, would you rather fight the Royal Lord in the vicinity of the Royal City or the vicinity of Great Evolution Pass?”
She smiled, “If I have to choose, I am naturally more inclined to fight in the vicinity of Great Evolution Pass.”
If the battle took place near the Royal City, the Royal Lord would have the support of his Black Ink Nest. Even if she had the opportunity to injure the other party, he would be able to rely on the strength of his Black Ink Nest to recover from his injuries quickly and also boost his strength in moments of need. Not to mention, the Royal City was located in the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s territory. Fighting the Royal Lord there meant that the Black Ink Clan would be able to receive large numbers of reinforcements in short order.
On the other hand, it would be different if the battle took place near Great Evolution Pass. Without the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, his rate of recovery would be greatly reduced. That would be beneficial to her.
Xiang Shan broke into a grin, “That’s right. If the Black Ink Clan learns about the arrival of a Human Army that appears to be trying to recover Great Evolution Pass, then the Royal Lord would definitely come forward in order to prevent the invasion of the Human Race.”
“Luring the tiger from the mountain!” The Old Ancestor’s eyes lit up. She had to admit that Xiang Shan’s idea was interesting. This move would allow them to secure control over the initiative of the battle and create an advantage for themselves in the process.
After further consideration, she continued, “This plan might have its advantages, but if there are only a few Territory Lords at Great Evolution Pass, why don’t we secretly swoop in and secure Great Evolution Pass?”
This was not an interrogative question but a genuine inquiry of curiosity. She might have a higher cultivation compared to Xiang Shan, but from his various arrangements, it could be seen that his ability to conduct military strategy was superior to hers. With a simple deployment, he could pave the way for the future, which was something she could never hope to achieve.
When she detected the Black Ink Clan Army approaching them, her first instinct was to simply obliterate it entirely. She never even considered allowing a Territory Lord to escape.
It was only natural for her to inquire further since she thought of another possibility. Besides, she believed that it was impossible for Xiang Shan to overlook something so simple.
Sure enough, Xiang Shan nodded, “It is as you have said, Old Ancestor. If the Army marched forward in secret, we would definitely be able to capture Great Evolution Pass with ease. From when the Black Ink Clan took over Great Evolution Pass until now, we have never shown any signs of trying to take it back, so the Black Ink Clan has no reason to station many troops there. Even if the Black Ink Clan prepared many defensive mechanisms at Great Evolution Pass over the past 30,000 years, they will not be able to stop the might of our Army without sufficient troops. But… What happens after we retake Great Evolution Pass?”
The Old Ancestor followed his train of thought and soon came to a realisation.
Liu Zhi Ping, who was standing by the side, nodded and continued, “Even if our Army can take back Great Evolution Pass, the Black Ink Clan will not just stand by idly and watch. I’m sure they will gather a large Army and attack us in short order.”
“Indeed!” Xiang Shan nodded, “However, we will have just recaptured Great Evolution Pass and won’t have had time to make any arrangements. When the time comes to face the Black Ink Clan’s attack, how will we defend ourselves? If we don’t defend the Great Pass, then what was the point of attacking and retaking it in the first place? But, if we defend the Great Pass… Without restoring the various facilities of Great Evolution Pass, our Army will have no place to fall back to. We will be forced to engage in an all-out battle in the void against the Black Ink Clan, where their advantage in numbers and willingness to sacrifice lives will be greatest. The Black Ink Clan has never been afraid of suffering losses as thanks to the Black Ink Nests, they can produce a steady stream of troops as long as they have resources. In comparison, how long can Great Evolution Pass’s Army of 60,000 last? 10 years? 20? There will come a day when our Army simply cannot hold any longer.”
Liu Zhi Ping nodded lightly. As the former Army Commander of Yin-Yang Pass’ Western Army, though she had considerable talent in commanding military operations, she seemed like a novice when compared to Xiang Shan. His ability to see the long-term consequences and formulate strategies to obtain optimal outcomes was beyond her.
“For that reason, the primary goal of the Great Evolution Army is not to retake Great Evolution Pass, but to cripple the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre! That is the only way we can gain enough time to recover and restore the Great Pass to its original glory.”
In order to recover Great Evolution Pass, they deployed troops from all the Great Passes and formed Great Evolution’s Four Armies. Be that as it may, the primary objective of this campaign was not to recover Great Evolution Pass. Although these words sounded rather ridiculous, it was also the best method to achieve their goals.
Liu Zhi Ping cupped her fist solemnly, “Many thanks for your guidance!”
She had long heard of Xiang Shan despite belonging to a different Great Pass. As the former Blue Sky Pass Western Army’s Army Commander, Xiang Shan was famed for being the nightmare of the Territory Lords in the Blue Sky Theatre more than 3,000 years ago. During his active years, all Territory Lords trembled wherever he appeared.
Liu Zhi Ping had never had any in-depth contact with him before though, so she only learned today that Xiang Shan was not only fierce in terms of personal strength, but he also boasted an extraordinary ability in strategy and tactics. It was no wonder the Old Ancestors allowed him to serve as the Great Evolution Eastern Army’s Army Commander. Compared to him, she was greatly lacking in terms of ability.
While the executives were analysing the situation, the Eastern and Western Armies had already entered the designated universe fragment field.
This location was only a few days away from Wind and Cloud Pass, so it could be considered within the vicinity of Wind and Cloud Pass.
There used to be several Universe Worlds here, but they had been picked clean by Wind and Cloud Pass long ago. After extensive mining and many years of drifting, these Universe Worlds had broken down into numerous universe fragments, which left behind a region filled with universe fragments.
These universe fragments would provide cover for the Great Evolution Army to a certain extent.
The Warships flew towards different universe fragments and concealed themselves as best they could. Meanwhile, the members of each Squad swiftly prepared various Spirit Arrays to disguise their auras and hide their figures. They could not do a thorough job since time was short, but their efforts were better than nothing.
The reason this place was not considered a good spot for an ambush was that the number of universe fragments here was not very large. Moreover, they were far too scattered for the troops to form an effective encirclement.
If the terrain was better, the Warships could take action as soon as the Black Ink Clan Army entered the range of these universe fragments to form a watertight encirclement.
Unfortunately, based on the current ambush location of Great Evolution’s Eastern and Western Armies, the encirclement they formed would be filled with gaps. Even if the Black Ink Clan entered the centre of the ambush, they would be able to escape through these openings when the situation turned unfavourable.
Be that as it may, Xiang Shan had already made arrangements for these possibilities. There were at least two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters monitoring each of the largest gaps, so even if there were escapees, they would need to pass these Division Commanders first.
At present, the only issue that the Great Evolution Army had to consider was whether the Black Ink Clan would pass through this area or not. If the Black Ink Clan had even the slightest sense of vigilance to send somebody to scout the route ahead, or simply took a detour around the universe fragments, the preparations of the Great Evolution Army would be all for naught.
Regardless, that was not something the Great Evolution Army could determine. They had done their best to make these preparations in the short time they had, the rest was up to the Heavens.
On top of a small universe fragment, Dawn and two other Squads squeezed together and secretly observed the situation in front.
Less than an incense stick later, Yang Kai frowned and whispered, “They’re coming!”
This universe fragment was located relatively far forward, so its field of view was quite wide. What entered Yang Kai’s eyes at that moment was a Black Ink Clan Army approaching slowly. Their numbers seemed vast and endless, resembling a long black dragon swimming through the void. A rough estimate indicated that there were at least several hundreds of thousands of them.
The location of the ambush was well chosen though, and judging by the marching route of the Black Ink Clan Army, they were bound to pass through this exact location shortly, and they showed no signs of changing direction whatsoever.
The Human Army fell silent and concealed themselves as best they could, not daring to expose themselves in the slightest.
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