Chapter 145: The Art of Military Formations
“Sacred? Even a stray dog with nowhere to go dares claim to represent the sacred!”
Zhou Changsheng showed no mercy, tearing away his opponent’s fig leaf without the slightest restraint.
“You are far inferior even to the ancient heroes of the Heaven-Subduing Realm. It seems your hearts truly are unsettled. Otherwise, you would have attacked me long ago instead of standing here arguing.”
The Lord of the Sacred Gods was not disturbed by Zhou Changsheng’s words. He saw the situation clearly. In truth, they were far from confident themselves, afraid that the Nine Provinces might catch them off guard. But judging from the current circumstances, some of the arrangements made outside had indeed taken effect.
Zhou Changsheng’s expression darkened. These fellows had survived for countless years; each of them was an ancient monster capable of discerning a great deal from the slightest clues.
“The ancient seniors were naturally peerless, but neither are we ordinary. They shattered your world, and so can we!”
Zhou Changsheng shouted, his voice rolling like heavenly thunder. He naturally respected the ancient sages, but he possessed pride of his own and was confident that he was inferior to no one.
“Brat, mind your tongue!”
As the voice rang out, genuine thunder appeared, thick as a flood dragon and churning through the void.
It was the Lord of Thunder. He had possessed the body of a burly man clad in armor, though the armor covered only part of his body. The exposed flesh was powerfully built, and some kind of purple material had traced patterns of lightning across his skin.
Gods were an extraordinarily unique form of life. They had no true limit to their lifespan. So long as people continued to believe in them and praise them in their hearts, they could continue to exist. Yet once they lost that faith, they would die at once.
These ancient gods possessed godhood that was both ancient and mighty, making them exceedingly difficult to kill. Relying on their age and seniority, they addressed Zhou Changsheng as a junior.
Zhou Changsheng sneered, his face filled with disdain.
“You call yourself the Lord of Thunder, wielding the strongest and most unyielding power in existence. Yet when your homeland was shattered, you were the first to flee. What right do you have to command the authority of thunder?”
“That is precisely why I spent so long laying my plans!”
The hearts of these gods were as unshakable as the walls of a world. A few words from Zhou Changsheng could not possibly sway them.
“Enough talk. Let us begin the battle and see what this so-called Nine Provinces is truly capable of!”
A hoarse voice came from a mass of black mist beside the Lord of Thunder, accompanied by a sound like bones grinding together. It was the God of Death, a godhood of immense power that surpassed the elemental gods.
Zhou Changsheng’s gaze passed casually over the four gods who had remained silent. Though their status was below that of the Lord of the Sacred Gods, the Lord of Thunder, and the God of Death, their physical strength was genuinely at the Heavenly King level. They would be troublesome indeed.
Rumble!
As if chaos itself were being reopened, a tremendous explosion drew everyone’s attention.
The enormous ancient bronze gates of the Hall of All Gods slowly opened. Countless auspicious rays burst forth, while divine music echoed through the void. At last, the gates split open by a narrow gap. Yet because the bronze doors were so immense, even that single opening was large enough for a hundred people to enter at once.
Zhou Tian looked puzzled. Was the Hall of All Gods connected to Heaven’s Mandate after all? He had originally thought that the opening of the hall would mark the emergence of Heaven’s Mandate, and the presence of the Sacred Demon lying in wait here had seemed to confirm that idea. Yet the hall had stopped after opening only a narrow gap. Clearly, this was not the spectacle accompanying the birth of Heaven’s Mandate.
“Sound the Heavenly Dragon Horn!” Zhou Changsheng shouted.
A muffled horn call rang out, interrupting Zhou Tian’s thoughts.
The sound rolled through the air like dull thunder, reverberating across the Boundless Heavens.
The horn had been refined from a Heavenly Dragon’s horn and reinforced by countless arrays. It had long since developed a spirit of its own and was an unimaginable treasure of war.
The horn of a true dragon was already a rare treasure of Heaven and Earth. Once fashioned into a war horn, its might could easily be imagined. Yet the horn call did not attack the souls of those present. Although it resounded throughout Heaven and Earth, it did not make their blood and vital energy churn, nor did it pose any danger of causing their bodies to explode.
The instant the horn sounded, countless people grew solemn. Among the younger generation, some felt a desolate grandeur stir within them, their blood surging with fervor as they yearned to throw themselves into battle at once. Even Zhou Tian felt his blood rising in waves, and he could barely restrain the urge to charge forward and fight.
A slit opened at the bottom of the Ancient Ship of Great Qin. The black-armored soldiers leaped down one after another, landing on the ground.
“Ha!”
In almost an instant, they formed a military formation. As it rose, overwhelming blood energy shot into the heavens, resembling a sea of blood suspended in the sky. Blood clouds churned, and the sound of slaughter came from within as the firmament cracked apart.
The Heavenly Dragon Horn had been ground and refined from a Heavenly Dragon’s horn. Its sound shook the ages and could greatly enhance courage and fighting spirit. Otherwise, no matter how wondrous the art of military formations might be, the disparity between individuals would remain too vast. The difference between an ant and a true dragon was such that a single glance could kill the ant—so how could resistance even be discussed?
The other seven great powers employed similar methods. In the blink of an eye, eight military formations took shape. Their vital energy rose like smoke piercing the clouds; blazing flames burned, divine radiance surged, and killing intent shot into the highest heavens. The formations seemed to be connected, their auras gradually merging together.
“Pierce!”
A great shout rang out from the Qin military formation. It came from the commander of the army, the core of the formation, who sat at its center and issued orders.
“Ha!”
Ten thousand men moved as one, every motion perfectly synchronized as they thrust forward. Their cry shook the ages!
A blood-red spear ten thousand yards long shot from the billowing sea of blood clouds. Its radiance was dazzling, and faint, mournful screams could be heard within it. The former enemies of this army had all been transformed into dead souls beneath its spear.
Boom!
A vertical eye split open between the brows of the Lord of Thunder. Blue light blazed from within, as though an entire world of thunder lay concealed inside.
A bolt of blue lightning shot forth. It was originally no thicker than a thumb, but by the time it reached the blood spear, it had transformed into a lifelike thunder dragon, scales flashing with electric light.
The void exploded and chaos churned. The thunder dragon and the blood spear vanished simultaneously, while the Lord of Thunder slightly furrowed his brows, clearly surprised.
Although he had not used his full strength in that strike, its power had been extraordinary. He had not expected it to be neutralized.
“The art of military formations from the Heaven-Subduing Realm was renowned even in ancient times. There is no need for surprise.”
The Lord of the Sacred Gods spoke as a gleaming jade hand extended outward. A distant, sonorous chant arose, and behind him there seemed to appear an ancient mountain whose height was impossible to measure. Countless holy spirits with wings upon their backs circled around it, while gates of light opened in the void beyond.
One figure after another emerged from the white radiance, each bearing a pair of illusory wings. They were the holy spirits of his divine kingdom, summoned through some method that allowed him to communicate with that kingdom and bring them into the world.
With the opposing side aided by a military formation, it would be extremely troublesome for them if they had no means of countering it.
The Lord of Thunder was no different. A world of thunder floated and sank behind him, and creatures formed entirely from lightning emerged from within it. From a distance, they did not resemble soldiers at all, but rather an entire sea of thunder.
From the murky river flowing around the God of Death crawled one skeleton soldier after another, along with nightmare knights. Though they appeared unsteady on their feet, as if they would shatter at the slightest touch, they were anything but fragile. As their numbers continued to grow, a mass of black mist gathered above their heads. Even these skeletons understood the art of military formations.
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