Hou Junji looked at Wang Chong and sighed, seeming to already see what fate awaited him.
“Haha!”
To his surprise, Wang Chong laughed and gave an eerie smile.
“Senior, I presume that the attack on Taiji Palace is not going smoothly?”
Buzz!
Everything suddenly fell silent, the expression on Hou Junji’s face freezing.
“Heh!”
Wang Chong took his teacup from the table and took a sip, his expression relaxed and assured.
“If it was really as easy as Senior described, Senior would have never taken such great pains to use the Fifth Prince as bait to lure me here, yes?”
The superior general broke his opponent’s schemes while the inferior general broke his soldiers, and it was far better to attack morale than to attack a city. Wang Chong knew just as much about the art of war as the Army-Shattering War God, and if Hou Junji thought that psychological attacks would work on him, then he was gravely mistaken.
These thoughts quickly passed through Wang Chong’s mind, and he returned the cup to the table.
Chapter 1764 - The Origin Immortal Formation Activates!
Chapter 1764: The Origin Immortal Formation Activates!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Deep within the palace is the Saint Martial Barracks, holding six to eight thousand soldiers. Their duty is to protect the Sage Emperor, and if I remember correctly, underneath Taiji Palace is the Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, Three Emperors Formation. While eight thousand soldiers of the Saint Martial Barracks isn’t a lot, with the power of the Three Emperors Formation and the narrow confines of the palace avenues, they should be able to easily defend… The First Prince’s advance is probably not very smooth, yes?
“Moreover, Taiji Palace is also guarded by the Dragon Guards. Each one is a Brigadier General, and there were even those with Great General cultivation. They were originally established to deal with rebellions. Throughout the various dynasties, rebellions have never been in short supply within the Imperial Palace. The Great Qin experienced them, as did the Great Han and the Great Sui. Thus, Emperor Gaozu took measures against them from the moment the dynasty was founded, which is why we have the Three Emperors Formation. You are the strategist for the First Prince, so you must know all this,” Wang Chong nonchalantly said, his expression unperturbed.
“In addition, in order to prevent me from leading soldiers into the palace and causing your forces to be attacked from both sides, you set up the Imperial Army into a formation. In other words, the number of forces attacking Taiji Palace can’t be too large—fifty thousand at most. Even if these are your best soldiers, taking Taiji Palace will still be extremely difficult. It will at least take more than thirty minutes!
“Moreover, while you and the First Prince have control over the Imperial Army and the City Guard, the capital is home to hundreds of thousands of people. While you can control the people, you can’t control their minds. This is why you ‘lowered yourself to descend’, luring me to this place. The one who really needed this was not me… but you!
“I presume you don’t need me to tell you what the punishment for rebellion is, yes?”
Wang Chong sat up straight, his eyes bright and his words incisive. Hou Junji’s face shifted again and again until it eventually turned dour.
“I truly underestimated you, but you only said a part of it, not all!”
Hou Junji’s expression became much more serious. It seemed like he was finally treating Wang Chong as a real opponent.
“Set the plans and then move, so how could this old man not know of what you speak? That Three Emperors Formation has fused together with the thousands of other formations beneath the Imperial Palace, accumulating a vast amount of energy. And I have already used the Three Emperors Formation as the energy source for my Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation! Thus, hah, those eight thousand Saint Martial Barracks soldiers won’t be able to get that much power from the formation!
“For this reason, your calculations are wrong. Those Saint Martial Barracks soldiers aren’t even worth considering. Completely exterminating them will require a meager amount of time,” Hou Junji calmly said.
“You don’t think that the Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation was only for you, do you?!”
Wang Chong’s heart sank. There was no doubt that Hou Junji was the most difficult opponent he had ever encountered.
But Wang Chong quickly got hold of himself.
“Senior, regardless of what you say, you have yet to win this contest, correct?”
Wang Chong softly chuckled. His gaze quickly settled on the golden chess board, his meaning obvious.
“Black moves first. Senior, please.”
“Heh.”
Hou Junji chuckled, not taking this as an expression of disrespect as he looked at the chess board.
“Truly as they say, the young are the heroes, but given how much time has passed, it’s about time!”
Hou Junji profoundly smiled.
Clap!
Hou Junji thrust his right hand out and took a black piece between his index and middle fingers, placing it on the center of the golden board.
There seemed to be little special about this move at first. In truth, no one understood why Wang Chong and Hou Junji had the leisure to play a game of chess at such a crucial moment.
But a moment later, they seemed to understand something.
“Look at that!”
As the crowd shouted in alarm, the earth began to rumble, and a dazzling pillar of violet energy surged out of the depths of the Imperial Palace. This pillar of energy was even more brilliant than the one before it, and as the heavens were dyed purple, fierce gales of energy swept outward.
Neigh!
Horses neighed as the winds struck, and the surrounding Imperial Army soldiers were forced to step back in alarm.
Even at this distance, they could sense the terrifying power of that energy pillar.
“Kill!”
Loud roars came from the distance, and a vast wave of energy came from the direction of the Center Gate and slammed against the palace walls. At that moment, the Imperial Army soldiers were seemingly reinvigorated.
At the Qian Gate and Kun Gate, the Imperial Army soldiers also bellowed and thundered.
“Your Highness!”
Behind Wang Chong, Li Jingzhong looked in alarm in the direction of the three gates.
Wang Chong’s soldiers and the Imperial Army had been basically on par, with Wang Chong’s forces holding the slight upper hand, but at this moment, the Imperial Army had suddenly become much stronger and were starting to crush Wang Chong’s soldiers.
Wang Chong’s soldiers were the last hope for the supporters of the Sage Emperor. If they couldn’t hold, no one dared to imagine what the consequences would be.
“Don’t panic! The victor has yet to be decided. I trust in him!”
Li Heng stared at Wang Chong’s back, his eyes gleaming and his face unperturbed. The cries of fighting in the distance seemed to have no effect on him.
Hou Junji looked at Wang Chong and nonchalantly said, “Heh, enough time has passed that it’s only right to unleash the power of the Three Emperors Formation. I’ve already guided all of its energy into the Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation. What you see now… can be considered its true form!”
His expression was calm and gentle, but under the surface was the threatening sharpness of a blade.
“Kill!”
The Imperial Army soldiers stationed at the three gates charged with renewed vigor. Metallic clattering came from under their feet as additional halos appeared.
At this moment, each Imperial Army soldier gained three milky-white halos of varying sizes, signaling that the power from the formation had increased.
The Imperial Army soldiers were surprised and pleased by this sudden development.
“Haha, great! Everyone, listen up!
Follow me and kill these traitors!”
At the Qian Gate, Lu Qiongji flourished his sword and charged at Guo Ziyi and the Wushang Cavalry.
Huang Tianzhao at the Center Gate and Duan Zhuyan at the Kun Gate also sensed this change and quickly shifted to offensive stances.
The situation immediately became unfavorable for Wang Chong’s side. The clamor of fighting made Miyasame Ayaka crease her brow and worriedly glance at Wang Chong.
“Senior truly is formidable. It is no wonder that even His Majesty Taizong praised Senior’s talent as unparalleled!”
The hair on Wang Chong’s temples danced in the wind, but his expression was as calm as a placid lake.
“I have heard that Senior is an erudite scholar who knows all the martial arts and formations of the world. I have even heard that, starting many decades ago, Senior had already fused all his learnings together with the desire of creating the strongest formation. Alas, in the end, that venture failed, but to think that after the passing of decades and diligent study and research, Senior managed to succeed.”
Wang Chong faintly smiled. These foes who got along like fire and water now seemed like bosom friends.
But Hou Junji raised an eyebrow, his face tightening.
“Su Zhengchen already told you?” Hou Junji suddenly asked.
“Heh, he truly did mention a little here and there.”
Wang Chong chuckled.
Hou Junji’s pupils constricted, his face turning solemn.
“What else did your master say?”
Hou Junji regarded Wang Chong as nothing more than a trifling junior whose abilities had a limit, but Su Zhengchen was different. As the most illustrious War God of their generation, Su Zhengchen had earned everyone’s admiration, had been as bright as the sun and moon.
If Su Zhengchen had mentioned his formation, then perhaps things were not as absolute as he thought they were.
“Heh, that’s not the case. Senior is using the Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation for the first time. Not even my master has seen it before, so how could he say anything about it?” Wang Chong indifferently said. He took his cup from the table and sipped a little tea.
Hou Junji stared at Wang Chong, his eyes shifting, but he quickly calmed back down.
It was true!
The Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation had taken more than half his life to develop. He had transformed the Imperial Army into heavenly soldiers, a celestial wall that even God-Devils would find hard to overcome. No matter how amazing Su Zhengchen was, would he really be able to break this formation?
“He told you nothing?” Hou Junji asked, distrust still evident on his face.
Wang Chong put down his cup and casually replied, “No. Master only said that my abilities alone should be more than enough to deal with you.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Hou Junji scoffed, his expression chilling.
“What have you brought to break my formation?”
Wang Chong chuckled. He naturally understood what Hou Junji was trying to say, but he didn’t argue. Facts would overcome even the most eloquent of arguments.
“Has Senior ever heard of the Origin Immortal Formation?” Wang Chong asked.
“So, you think this Origin Immortal Formation can break my Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation?” Hou Junji asked back instead of answering the question.
“That’s right!”
Wang Chong firmly nodded, and then as Hou Junji stared, he took a white piece from the nearby gourd and placed it on the center of the board.
“My turn now!”
Boom!
As if in response to Wang Chong’s voice, the moment the white piece struck the board, a white pillar of energy exploded up from the Center Gate.
The pillar of energy wasn’t very bright at first, but, as if it was rapidly absorbing energy, it quickly began to grow, and white began to turn to gold. In the end, there was a massive boom as a golden and black Taiji symbol manifested in the night sky.
Chapter 1765 - Li Siye Battles Duan Zhuyan!
Chapter 1765: Li Siye Battles Duan Zhuyan!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Roooar!
An enraged bellow came from the distance. Wang Chong’s forces, which had been suppressed by the power of the Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation, had instantly been reinvigorated and had turned to launch a fierce counterattack.
Hou Junji was shaken.
“How?!”
Far in the back, Eastern Palace guard captain Fei Yuhan had also sensed the shift in the distance, and could not help but be astonished.
He had taken part in the laying down of the Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation, and it was precisely for this reason that he understood how powerful it was. But Wang Chong was somehow able to use his formation to fight against it, still fighting equally despite being outnumbered by the forces of Duan Zhuyan, Lu Qiongji, and Huang Tianzhao. This was simply absurd!
But there was no question that Wang Chong’s forces had received a second wind.
“Wonderful!”
Li Jingzhong sighed in relief, the panic gradually leaving his pale face.
The expressions of Li Heng and Miyasame Ayaka also greatly relaxed.
“Senior, how is it?”
Wang Chong raised his teacup and smirked.
Just like the Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation, Wang Chong’s Origin Immortal Formation had only been in its nascent form. In order to display its true might, it needed the right terrain and to absorb enough energy.
The Lone Silence Ancestor was a peak Great General expert of prodigious strength. After Wang Chong left, the Lone Silence Ancestor had been constantly pouring energy into the Energy Condensation Pearl, allowing the formation to slowly increase in power.
“It seems like I’ve really been underestimating you. This formation alone makes you worthy of being Su Zhengchen’s disciple. I suppose that you have not shamed him!”
Hou Junji had soon recomposed himself, and as he looked at Wang Chong, he had a faint look of approval on his face.
“But this is still far from enough. This Origin Immortal Formation of yours truly does appear rather exquisite, but its scale is a little too small, and it isn’t even on the same level of strength as my formation, merely a rabbit trying to fight a lion, a mantis trying to stop a carriage. Even if you can hold out for a moment, you’ll still lose eventually. Your formation can’t last for very long!”
“Having more men isn’t necessarily a good thing. If that were really the case, Senior would not have gained your reputation as the Army-Shattering War God. This is a principle in the art of war, and it is also one in the art of formations.”
“Is that so?”
Hou Junji simply chuckled in reply.
The two of them stared silently at each other, the wind blowing between them. Everything soon fell quiet, the moment seeming to be frozen in time.
But while Wang Chong and Hou Junji were quiet and still, the battle at the three gates was only intensifying.
……
“Mountain River Cyclic Slash!”
At the Kun Gate, Li Siye swung his giant sword, unleashing a grandiose wave of saber energy that swept toward Duan Zhuyan. The power of this attack was so great that it seemed capable of cleaving the gate in half.
“Peerless Zhuyan!”
At the same time, in front of the gate, Duan Zhuyan’s body erupted with red light, and as he charged forward with astonishing speed, he swept his spear forward. The massive Zhuyan ape jumped from his body and stood in front of the saber energy.
Boom!
The giant Zhuyan crossed its arms and roared as it blocked Li Siye’s frightening blow. But a second later, the Zhuyan’s arms exploded and the immense body shattered like porcelain. The remnants of the saber energy continued onward and slammed into Duan Zhuyan, but the impact was like that of metal clashing.
Rumbl
e!
As Li Siye battled with Duan Zhuyan, their formations were also bashing against each other like two clashing gears turning.
Whoosh!
Gouts of fierce flame appeared in the skies, followed by azure frost that threatened to turn cavalry into pillars of ice.
These flames and frost lasted for only brief moments before vanishing.
At the same time, a group of Imperial Army soldiers bellowed and thrust their spears, but their targets vanished into nothing.
“Ah!”
This was the power of the Origin Immortal Formation!
As the two formations intersected and the soldiers on both sides penetrated deep into the ranks of the other side, the formations rapidly lost power. The flames, frost, and illusions only appeared at the points of intersection, but they would never appear on the enemy side.
This was two formations exhausting each other of their power.
The same situation was taking place at the Center Gate and Qian Gate.
As time slowly passed, soldiers continued to die, and the sounds of fighting penetrated through the Imperial Palace and traveled far into the distance.
“It’s about ready!”
Meanwhile, Hou Junji smiled, his fingers once more picking up a piece from the jar next to him.
This normal action immediately made him the center of attention. Miyasame Ayaka, Li Jingzhong, and Li Heng all became extremely uneasy.
Everyone knew that the elder in black was the First Prince’s greatest strategist and the primary architect of this rebellion. His every action had a special meaning behind it, and in taking up this piece, he signaled that the entire battlefield was about to change.
“Those stories claiming that rabbits can fight against lions are merely fairytales. At this point, your formation must be just about out of energy!”
Clack! Hou Junji placed his second piece on the board.
Boom!
As the piece fell, another dazzling pillar of violet energy soared into the air, a wave of energy sweeping out from the depths of the Imperial Palace.
Crack!
An earth-shattering crack came from the direction of the three gates, causing everyone to pale.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1082
