Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1899: Chapter 1736: Divergent Systems

”How is the situation?” Zhang Song and Zhang Su had already received notice from the messenger before Li Xin entered the tent, and the civil and military officials were notified. Therefore, when Li Xin entered the tent, they immediately asked.

”Not very good. The opponent probably doesn’t have spiritual talent, but there are likely ten Inner Qi Manifestations. All those seated in the front row of the tent are Inner Qi Manifestations, and including the commander, there are ten in total.” Li Xin said, feeling a bit startled.

”Ten?” Zhang Ren almost jumped up. He had arranged a secret technique for Li Xin, which allows Li Xin to detect the aura of Inner Qi Manifestations. Going to deliver the challenge letter was partly to intimidate Kushan and partly to probe their depth.

”If the secret technique bestowed by the general isn’t wrong, then there are ten.” Li Xin said solemnly.

”What about the Legion Talent?” Zhang Ren’s heart sank. He trusted the secret technique, as it was passed on by Tong Yuan, highly reliable.

”One.” Li Xin said with some hesitation.

”Uh, ten Inner Qi Manifestations, but only one with Legion Talent?” Yan Yan looked at Li Xin incredulously and asked.

”Yes, General Zhang’s secret technique sensed only one Legion Talent.” Li Xin replied, looking at Yan Yan, who couldn’t help but turn to Zhang Ren.

Zhang Ren frowned but remained silent for a while before nodding silently, as there had been no errors all these years.

In fact, Zhang Ren’s secret technique on Li Xin had not erred; Kushan indeed has ten Inner Qi Manifestations, but only one possesses Legion Talent, that being Kushan Commander Brack.

Unlike the Han Dynasty, Kushan’s cultivation method, being Visualization, makes entering Qi Refining to Gang very simple, and likewise, entering Inner Qi Manifestation is easier than for the Han.

As a trade-off, Kushan’s Inner Qi Manifestations rarely develop Legion Talents because their cultivation method involves absorbing the Inner Qi of those they trust most, usually fellow practitioners, absorbed during each upgrade.

The farther they proceed, the harder it is to continue upgrading by this method, and due to constant use of this upgrading method, the stronger they become, the fewer respondents they have, and the harder they can respond themselves, making Legion Talents exceedingly rare.

This Visualization cultivation method, besides the drawback regarding Legion Talent, has another limitation: the limit.

If someone exceptionally talented chooses Kushan’s Visualization cultivation, while they can reach Inner Qi Manifestation and achieve Buddha Body, the Buddha they visualize could likely become their limit.

Of course, this limit can be shattered, although it’s extremely difficult. Breaking it transforms your limit into the Buddha’s new limit, ceasing to inherit Buddha’s name, but becoming the Manifest Body of Buddha.

At this stage, your current cultivation will restrict future successors more than before.

Take the case of Gan Ning’s encounter with Maudgalyayana, originally a Brahmin, who visualized the most powerful disciple under Buddha. He was exceptionally talented, having reached the limit of Maudgalyayana he visualized, thus inheriting the name.

The trade-off is that since inheriting the name Maudgalyayana, he hasn’t progressed a bit for two whole years; Maudgalyayana’s personal limit has become his limit.

If he had cultivated like the Han Dynasty initially, albeit not as strong as Maudgalyayana now, he would surpass the inherited Maudgalyayana eventually.

Kushan’s Visualization cultivation forged Kushan and also doomed Kushan, ensuring that Kushan could not produce powerhouses surpassing the imagined Buddha’s strength, nor could it increase the number of Legion Talents within Kushan.

Currently, Kushan Navy has seven Legion Talents, combined with Brack’s Legion Talent in the South Asian Subcontinent and Mengg Kambu’s at Minagara Harbor, accounting for more than eighty percent of Kushan Empire’s renowned generals with Legion Talents.

This cultivation method does have its advantages; if Legion Talents were entirely eliminated without a corresponding counter-system, Kushan could not stand proudly in South Asia or Central Asia.

In terms of Qi Refining to Gang, this Visualization method significantly enhances it, as there’s no case of entirely draining fellow practitioners’ Inner Qi to replenish oneself at the Qi Refining to Gang level, but instead, everyone visualizing the same Buddha increases mutual understanding, excelling in organizational dispatch.

Furthermore, Kushan’s core Legion power does not rely solely on Legion Talents. Though Kushan’s elite agrees Legion Talent represents top warfare ability, this ability is too scarce in Kushan, a vast empire with tens of millions yet only eleven with Legion Talents.

This is why Mengg Kambu dares to openly criticize the Cecil Clan of Kushan; although outspoken, his competence ensures that the Cecil Clan, despite disliking him, would not kill him, choosing instead to shelve him in a godforsaken place like Minagara.

As for eliminating him, Mengg Kambu is certain the Cecil Clan wouldn’t dare, despite his average family background, causing trouble wouldn’t be easy for the Cecil Clan either.

Nauseating him is possible, but to truly strike hard, the higher-ups in Kushan would protect him one by one, because he is considered one of the few top-ranked renowned generals with triple commander-in-chief abilities in the world today.

First, Mengg Kambu’s five hundred personal soldiers all cultivate the same visualization diagram as him. The tacit understanding between them doesn’t need to be explained; originally, when he was promoted, he should have drawn out the Inner Qi of these five hundred trusted aides to achieve the Ultimate Inner Qi Manifestation, but he didn’t do so and instead chose to cultivate a different path, preserving his five hundred trusted aides.

Due to their mutual understanding, Mengg Kambu is confident that as long as he does not encounter the Imperial Guard Legion of the Kushan Empire, that Military Spirit Legion, he would not lose with an equal number of troops.

The second aspect is a capability possessed by all excellent commanders of Kushan, which is to stimulate soldiers who visualize the same or similar Buddha, creating an effect akin to Legion Talent based on different visualized soldiers.

The number that can be stimulated in this manner is limited, and the abilities that are awakened vary depending on personal capabilities, but Mengg Kambu happens to be a top-tier individual among them; his army’s stimulation of the power of Acala is nearly at the level of Legion Talent.

These two aspects alone are enough for the Cecil Family to find no good methods against Mengg Kambu, let alone Mengg Kambu has also awakened Legion Talent; even if the Cecil Family disgusts Mengg Kambu, they would not expel him from the military, after all, he’s still a renowned general.

It can be said that if a general of Mengg Kambu’s caliber leads an army against the Han Army, currently the Han Dynasty would struggle to have generals who could defeat the opposition without a troop advantage, for the opponent alone is equivalent to triple talents’ top elite, if they can lead super elite troops, they are already extremely close to the level of a Military Spirit Legion.

”Does he only have one Legion Talent?” Zhang Su tapped the case lightly and said after a moment of thought, ”I’m afraid the opponent is slightly different from our commanders.”

All the military generals were taken aback, then nodded silently, while the civil officials’ eyes flashed with a gleam.

”This is the only explanation that can pass.” Li Hui nodded and said, ”No matter how it was over a hundred years ago, now they are also an empire; they must have comparable strength. Even if weaker than us, the disparity would not be as vast as this.”

”Let’s count it like this, the opponent is equivalent to having six Legion Talents.” Zhang Song clapped his hands to draw concentration.

Immediately, everyone on the scene forced a laugh. If the other side has six Legion Talents, this battle is basically unwinnable, while on their side only three people possess Legion Talents: one is Yan Yan’s Unbreakable, one is Zhang Ren’s Ruyi, and the other is Meng Huo’s Tiger Wolf.

Yan Yan’s Legion Talent in such a chaotic large army war can easily counter three; Zhang Ren’s Legion Talent can also counter one to two, the problem is Meng Huo, whose Tiger Wolf is just fierce in name, essentially an aura like a tiger, cooperating like a pack of wolves.

If the opposing side truly has six Legion Talents, the likelihood of their loss is significant.

”Just joking, actually even if they possess six Legion Talents, we need not fear.” Zhang Song smiled and said.

”Wutugu, how many General Meng can you fight?” Zhang Song asked.

”On the battlefield, I can hold off five or six; usually, I can only fight one.” Wutugu chewed on some unidentified meat, swallowed hard, then spoke.

”So we can break through the Central Army and directly slay the generals.” Zhang Song said ruthlessly.

”In that case, would it lead to a dispute with Kushan?” Qin Mi said with a headache.

”If we can achieve a great victory, are we afraid of disputes?” Zhang Song sneered.

”Ziqiao is correct. If the opposing side has up to ten generals with Inner Qi Manifestation, if I command, using a reverse ten-sided ambush is precisely fitting, with enough generals and strong powers, aiming for cutting and piercing.” Zhang Su looked at everyone and said.

All the civil officials lowered their heads to ponder slightly, understanding this was indeed the most suitable Kushan method of warfare; this move precisely leverages the abundance of valiant generals in Kushan.

”Then what does Brother Jun Jiao mean?” Meng Da looked at Zhang Su and asked.

”He means to concentrate forces for a major explosion in the Central Army, leaving General Yann to command the Rear Army, converge the main force of General Zhang, Wutugu’s Rattan Armored Soldiers, and General E Huan’s main force, attack the Central Army in one breath, ignore other positions, let them intersperse and charge freely, retreat while fighting!” Cheng Ji slowly explained.

”In this way, retreat while fighting, pulling them to intersperse and charge; as long as our army doesn’t collapse, they will easily become disconnected with the Rear Army, the rest will be easy to handle.” Zhang Su nodded slowly.

”In this way, our army’s only weakness is General Yann. As long as General Yann stands firm, the army remains unbroken; dragging them for a disconnect between front and rear, if Central Army charges out or manages a flank counter-encirclement successfully, our army will achieve a great victory.” Zhang Song nodded, understanding Zhang Su’s intent.