by Fang Xiang
Shang Yu Sheng was puzzled. He did not start fighting immediately. The more intense the fighting, the more beneficial it was for them. A hard battle would greatly decrease Bie Han's strength. Hai Jin Yun could afford to do it because he had Shang Yu Sheng but Bie Han could not afford it as he did not have reinforcements.
The battle continued, and the slaughter still continued.
Shang Yu Sheng could not help but feel a thread of respect. As expected of Bie Han who came from Xuan Kong Temple. His tactics were exquisite, and he used all kinds of battle and seal formations expertly. He did not have any delay when he changed formations, and many of the variations were almost wondrous.
However, while he admired the other, Shang Yu Sheng felt more assured.
While Bie Han's upper hand on the battlefield against Hai Jin Yun grew larger, Shan Yu Sheng knew that victory was growing closer for himself.
Hai Jin Yun's battalion only had half of its members left after these exchanges, but these high losses were worth it because they were in exchange for the death of one-third of Sin Battalion.
If a normal battalion lost one-third of its members, the battalion would not be far from collapsing. [1]
Yet the two battalions were unusually hardy.
Hai Jin Yun was almost mad from the fight, while Bie Han was cold-blooded in his coolness.
Shang Yu Sheng sighed inside. Such a powerful battle general was about to fall today.
A cold light flashed through his eyes. It was time to attack!
Editor's notes: I find these numbers odd. Most traditional accounts of medieval battles place casualties in battle at about 14-15% losses for a defeated army during the battle. The majority of deaths came after due to cavalry chasing down a routed army's infantry and infections from wounds. I find the high losses odd here, because previously FX would normally have an enemy army route before being slaughtered to this extent.
Translator Ramblings: Your translator has no thoughts due to a great deficit of sleep.
Chapter 783: Youqin Lie's Skills
The meeting with Yang Yuan Hao remained a secret to everyone else.
Only Zuo Mo and Yang Yuan Hao attended this meeting. Even the sect leader of Lotus Sutra Sect excused himself.
Zuo Mo gained greatly in this meeting. For Mo Cloud Sea, they needed the Nine Great Dhyana Sects to stop Kun Lun and Tian Huan. For the Nine Great Dhyana Sects, they also needed Mo Cloud Sea's support. The two had common interests and demands so all that was left, dividing the benefits, was easy.
Zuo Mo was the boss of Mo Cloud Sea, Yang Yuan Hao was the first ranked battle general of the Nine Great Dhyana Sect, a person with true power in the Nine Great Dhyana Sects. Both were decision-makers for their factions. Adding on that the two both had strong strategic vision and knew where the other's bottom line was at, the process went smoothly.
Through Yang Yuan Hao, Zuo Mo learned that the bigger sects in the Nine Great Dhyana Sects were closer than outsiders thought.
For example, the sect leader of Lotus Sutra Temple was Yang Yuan Hao's paternal aunt. This kind of tangled relation caused Zuo Mo to gape. However, this also eased the majority of his worries. As long as the five larger sects did not turn on each other and creating chaos, then the Nine Great Dhyana Sects would not easily fall to Kun Lun and Tian Huan. Zuo Mo expressed his worries and fury about the sects that had been infiltrated the most heavily. Yang Yuan Hao subtly implied to him that Mo Cloud Sea could use some methods in secret.
Zuo Mo quickly realized that Yang Yuan Hao wanted to use him to eliminate these troubles. Yang Yuan Hao himself had boundaries to his influence and he could not do many things.
Zuo Mo acknowledged and confirmed. While it would be troublesome, this was also an opportunity for Zuo Mo.
However, what surprised Zuo Mo the most was that Yang Yuan Hao was willing to support Zuo Mo to compete for the shen device nucleus inside the ancient ruins! Zuo Mo had never thought that there would be a sect that did not desire a shen device raiment.
Little Mo Ge was a smart person and he immediately had a higher opinion of Yang Yuan Hao. This person wasn't just an exceptional person.
Yang Yuan Hao knew the status of the Nine Great Dhyana Sects. While a shen device raiment was of use to the Nine Great Dhyana Sects, it was not so important. If the Nine Great Dhyana Sects were threatened by top factions like Kun Lun and Tian Huan, Mo Cloud Sea would definitely not sit by.
Also, the location of the Nine Great Dhyana Sect meant it was fated to be a territory where there would be constant skirmishes. Rather than have the shen device raiment that would not be of great use to their problems, it was better to trade it for shen equipment which would increase the collective ability of their battalions.
As expected, Yang Yuan Hao raised this as his request. He wanted to use their support to trade for a shipment of Mo Cloud shen equipment.
Zuo Mo agreed without hesitation. Mo Cloud Sea was the exact opposite of the Nine Great Dhyana Sects. The battalions had long ago been outfitted with shen equipment. For them, shen device raiments that were valuable strategic weapons that they desired the most. A shipment of shen equipment for the rich Mo Cloud Sea was not a problem at all.
The conversation was pleasurable. Yang Yuan Hao was a person with great personal charisma
Zuo Mo noticed that Yang Yuan Hao's power within the Nine Great Dhyana Sects was stronger than he imagined.
Yang Yuan Hao warned him that there was an extremely high number of experts this time. Almost all of the strongest of the world had gathered, especially the yao and mo experts. After cultivating shen power, the mo and the yao also saw the rise of a group of exceptionally powerful shen power users. Compared to the fame of Kun Lun and Tian Huan's members, no one really knew where these people came from.
Any shen device raiment was an irresistible temptation for any top shen power user or any faction with ambition.
Zuo Mo nodded seriously. He suddenly found that the exploration of the ruins this time would not be as easy as he had imagined.
With the local power Lotus Sutra Temple leading the way, the traces of Zuo Mo's group were concealed. They had good intelligence, they did not attract any attention as they arrived at the border of the ruins.
While there was still a few days until the ruins opened, it was possible to see people scattered in this area exploring the geography or trying to search for clues.
"There aren't many people." Zuo Mo was slightly happy. Naturally, the fewer people here the better. Competition would not be as fierce if there were fewer participants.
The White Lotus Reverend imperceptibly glanced at him and said with a calm expression, "At the start, there were many people, but fights kept on breaking out. Some people tried to use the chaos to steal the artifacts. In one night, over three hundred people died and then the population here decreased."
Zuo Mo's smile froze on his face. The expressions of other people also became serious. More than three hundred people dying in one night. Just these few words were enough for people to imagine the chaos and cruelty of that night.
"Don't you maintain order?" Lao De Guang couldn't resist asking. It had to be said that all people had their own ways. Lao De Guang, this famed thief, had many unorthodox channels of information. He was likely more informed than Lotus Sutra Temple in some aspects.
"How can we control it?" An expression of helplessness appeared on White Lotus Reverend's face. He said coolly, "Right now, the shen power experts in this area could destroy the sect if they decided to work together."
Lao De Guang became silent.
Zuo Mo was not surprised by this. He only rejoiced that Mo Cloud Sea did not have a ruin of this kind. Otherwise, regardless of whether he could get the treasure, safety would be a problem.
Even in Mo Cloud Sea where there were many top experts, they were insignificant against all of the shen power experts in the world. If these madmen went on a rampage, no one could survive them.
"Hmph! Anyone who stops us from getting rich wi
ll die!" Little Mo Ge said viciously.
The White Lotus Reverend smiled and handed over a jade scroll. "Inside is the geography of this area. We have already explored this area. This was prepared for us originally, but we can only give it to you now."
At this time, Wei Sheng suddenly turned his head.
———
"It is best for you not to fight back. I do not mind killing you." A cold voice came from the darkness. It was ethereal and one was unable to pin their position from the voice.
Assassin!
Only those assassins that moved in the darkness would give him a feeling like this. He also knew from his days as a member of the underground what level of assassin he was facing.
Uncle Yan's expression was normal, and he was motionless like a statue. His expression was still calm as though he did not feel the murderous intent at his back.
"Why are you doing this, Miss has not refused you." Uncle Yan's voice did not tremble at all. He seemed to be describing a simple truth.
"Our time is precious." Another voice came from another direction in the darkness. This voice was light, and filled with warmth and friendliness as though they were talking with an old friend.
Yet Uncle Yan's eyelid flicked. He was still composed. "We need time to consider. You also know that this is a significant decision."
"Actually, I don't mind kidnapping her." The soft female voice in the darkness seemed to say in a teasing tone. "Or send her to the bed of Elder Yi's grand-nephew."
Uncle Yan's heart suddenly dropped.
"We did not do so because she is an outstanding candidates." The voice in the darkness was still cheerful. "However, you know that people in our profession never put our eggs in one basket. She is outstanding, but not irreplaceable."
Uncle Yan was silent but he also knew that there was no chance now. "What do you want?"
"That's right, don't make it difficult for me. Everyone's out to make a living, why make ourselves unhappy? We only need her talent, not her body. We will protect her clan, our offer is very sincere. Other than me, I believe that no one will offer such a deal." The voice cheerfully added from the darkness, "A condition like this should not be refused."
Uncle Yan was a person who lived life on the edge of his blade. He could hear the other's decisiveness and strong presence. His side and their side were not on the same level.
He was silent for a moment before he said, "I will persuade Miss."
"Great, I give you my thanks." The voice in the darkness was still so warm and friendly yet the next sentence they said was as cruel and ruthless as a blade's edge. "Boss said one thing that may make you unhappy, but for our beautiful partnership, I have decided to be honest."
"What words?" Uncle Yan's cold sweat dripped down his back. The murderous intent from the other direction became even stronger as though it was going to pierce into his bones. He even suspected that the other would suddenly attack in the next moment.
"Lambs do not qualify to negotiate with wolves."
The phrase swirled like smoke.
The sharp murderousness at his back slowly retreated. However, Uncle Yan was motionless like a statue. A long time later, he shifted his body. His body was completely covered in sweat.
Yet his face was ashen right now. The other's words right before they left hit him at his weak point like a hammer.
At this time, whines suddenly came from the darkness.
Uncle Yan's expression changed slightly. He shot like lightning into the darkness.
In the darkness, he found Cang Ling Xue pale faced, tied up and gagged.
———
"I do not like this," Nan Yue said calmly. At her side, the other people also had gazes full of unfriendliness and enmity. In their view, it was too cruel of Youqin Lie to use such terrible actions against a girl of only seventeen.
Youqin Lie glanced at her. "It's fine if the result is the same."
"Are you even a person! Do you even have any kindness! You are a demon, you are a bastard!" Nan Yue suddenly shouted furiously at Youqin Lie. She suddenly reached out and gripped Youqin Lie's neck, her eyes sprouting fire.
She appeared as though she wanted to snap Youqin Lie's neck.
Snap!
No one saw the movement. Youqin Lie seemed to turn into a shadow and then the two switched positions. He had grabbed Nan Yue's neck.
The orange-haired yao and the others suddenly stood up.
"If anyone moves, she's dead." Youqin Lie's cold voice echoed in the hall.
The orange-haired yao and the others stopped where they were. They could hear that the other was honest, he would really kill Nan Yue!
Youqin Lie expressionlessly looked over the group, intimidating them all.
Translator Ramblings: Nan Yue and the others are too honest and innocent. Pu Yao is toughening them up.
Chapter 784: Trump Card
Shang Yu Sheng's battalion was like a sharp dagger that cut through the night sky. Shang Yu Sheng's strategic ability was on full display. He cut in through Sin Battalion at a good angle and immediately cut a great wound in Bie Han's Sin Battalion.
Sin Battalion which had been fighting for a long time was not able to hold up against Shang Yu Sheng Battalion who were well-rested.
Shang Yu Sheng's battle style was unlike Hai Jin Yun's ferociousness. His style was more detailed. He was a rare mo battle general that was a control-type.
He led the battalion with ease. His body brimmed with power yet he never attacked with great momentum but used small moves that did not seem to be strong. Yet these seemingly weak moves were unique in that they came rapidly and endlessly like the rain.
These sustained attacks were more troublesome than Hai Jin Yun's attacks.
Shang Yu Sheng's exceptional foresight and sense of strategy always allowed him to find the greatest weakness in the enemy formation. He seemed to be leading a group of ants that constantly chewed. If one was the least bit careless, they would find that, without realizing it, Shang Yu Sheng had destroyed a large portion of their forces.
Bie Han naturally was not a weak person. Now that Shang Yu Sheng joined the battle it decreased his advantage greatly but he immediately adjusted.
Sin Battalion’s movements became even harder to predict, and the rate that the battle formation changed was shocking. Shang Yu Sheng immediately felt pressure.
As expected of Bie Han!
Shang Yu Sheng was shocked inside. He was not a beginner at battle, but it was the first time he felt such a great pressure. What roused his admiration was that Bie Han was fighting one against two!
In this kind of situation, Bie Han was still able to give him such great pressure. This meant that Bie Han's control of battle was great.
Shang Yu Sheng's spirit rose. What an honor it was to fight such a powerful opponent!
His gaze became even more determined, his steps more graceful. He felt that he had never been in such a great state. The entire battlefield appeared in his mind in every detail. The attacks that left his hand increased in rate. The attacks that had been like a rainstorm before were now a flood that sprouted from his hand.
With the support of his entire battalion, Shang Yu Sheng didn't feel any tiredness.
Hai Jin Yun would occasionally give a shuddering howl. He was in a frenzy, the remainders of his battalion was also fighting in a frenzy. They were fearless and seemed mad.
With the two battle generals working together, the pressure on Bie Han increased drastically.
Bie Han's cold face seemed to be carved from granite. He seemed to not notice the sudden increase in pressure and the increasing rate of battle.
The remaining two-thirds of Sin battalion managed to hold off the furious attack of the two large battalions.
———
The battle became unprecedentedly horrific.
The two sides were fighting for control over the rhythm of the battle.
The rhythm of the battle could not be seen or touched but both sides knew that the s
ide which controlled the rhythm of the battle would be closest to victory.
The attacks from the two sides constantly changed. In the sky, the multi-colored lights criss-crossed like rain.
The scouts spying on this battle were stunned. They unconsciously held their breath, spells such as mirage formations sending back this scene to every corner of the xiuzhe world.
This was the first significant conflict after several years of peace. It naturally attracted the eyes of the world. After the two sides started to fight, all the factions sent out strong scouts to infiltrate this area in order to see and understand this battle better.
The amount of manpower the two sides, Mo Cloud Sea and the Mo Marshal Alliance, had was limited. They could block out large battalions but could not stop these small scout teams. Due to this, as the state of the conflict grew clearer, the location of the final battle was gradually discovered. The scouts of almost every power in the world gathered around Bright Mountain Jie. These outstanding scouts hid in the darkness and used methods such as mirage formations and thousand li water mirrors to send recordings of the battle to their territories.
Innumerable eyes were watching this important battle.
When the battle reached this state, everyone unconsciously held their breath. The two side's were at a rhythm that was astounding. The battle generals that were watching all had grave expressions and were silent as their eyes were locked onto the images.
"The situation is disadvantageous to Bie Han," Xue Dong said in a deep voice. However, he was already stunned that Bie Han had managed to draw out the battle until now.
Mo Cloud Sea was Kun Lun's greatest worry. The two were sworn enemies so Kun Lun paid more attention to this fight. However, up until now, what shocked Xue Dong the most was Shang Yu Sheng and Hai Jin Yun's strength. They were stronger than he predicted.
He suddenly turned his head and ordered, "Send someone to investigate Hai Jin Yun and Shang Yu Sheng, especially Shang Yu Sheng."
In his eyes, Shang Yu Sheng was undoubtedly a bigger threat and had more potential. Shang Yu Sheng's strategic vision was outstanding, and he was experienced in focused attacks. He had more room to grow.
