Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

222: Section 222”Very well.” Yun Xiancheng stood up, stretched, and loosened his stiff muscles. ”Then I’ll have to trouble Chief Yue Mei to make the arrangements. I...”

”...wish to go to the military camp and see the military strength of our Snake-People Clan for myself.”

Outside the Snake-People Holy City, the vast military camp stretched out with banners fluttering in the wind.

Stationed here was the core tribal guard directly under Queen Medusa, the most elite and battle-hardened force of the entire Snake-People Clan. In a human empire’s structure, this would undoubtedly be considered an ace unit of the Imperial Guard level.

Accompanied by Yue Mei, Yun Xiancheng walked slowly through the camp, his gaze carefully scanning the Snake-People warriors in training.

These warriors were all agile, their scales shimmering, and a sense of ferocity and wildness in their eyes. Holding Scimitars or Spears, their movements were swift and lethal, and their coordination with each other was quite seamless. Most of them were low-star Dou Masters, already possessing the bearing of a powerful army in the Northwest Continent.

”Mhm.” Yun Xiancheng watched for a while, nodding slightly. He evaluated, ”The individual quality is indeed good, and they are unafraid of death. But...” He changed the subject, ”Their foundation is still a bit lacking.”

After all, it was a tribal alliance rather than a highly centralized imperial system, so it was normal for their core military strength not to match that of an empire. ”However, it doesn’t matter.” A smile appeared on Yun Xiancheng’s face. ”Once Her Majesty the Queen successfully breaks through to the Dou Zong realm, all these gaps will no longer be an issue.”

The laws of the Fighting Qi Continent were just that simple and crude—the top experts were enough to decide everything. The deterrent power and influence of a Dou Zong were far beyond what a massive army could compare to.

Of course, war itself was also a furnace that catalyzed growth.

In an ordinary world, after a war, whether won or lost, it was always very painful. But here...

The baptism of iron and blood could most quickly temper true elites.

If, after a major battle, they could avoid being annihilated or suffering devastating casualties, the warriors who survived on the brink of death would often achieve breakthroughs, sometimes even jumping several stars.

At that time, the overall combat effectiveness of this army would not only remain unweakened by battle losses but might even become stronger.

Just as Yun Xiancheng was lost in thought, a snake-woman with a slightly petite frame and fine gray scales covering her body swayed her slender waist and approached him.

She bowed respectfully to Yun Xiancheng and said in a crisp voice, ”Reporting to Young Master Yun, I am Hua She Er, the head of Her Majesty’s personal guards.”

”Her Majesty has ordered me to be at your disposal here and fully cooperate with all your actions.” Yun Xiancheng sized up the snake-woman who called herself ”Hua She Er.”

Hmm, Peak Dou Wang cultivation? It seemed the high-end combat power of the Snake-People Clan was indeed not to be underestimated. Only... her name was ”Hua She Er,” but her appearance didn’t seem to have anything to do with the word ”flower.”

The snake-woman before him had delicate features and a simple temperament—one might even call her... the girl next door? She was completely different from Yue Mei’s enchanting and seductive style.

”Good work.” Yun Xiancheng nodded and casually patted her shoulder, encouraging her, ”Peak Dou Wang, you’re only one step away from Dou Huang. Commander Hua She Er, you must also work harder and strive for an early breakthrough to become another Dou Huang expert of the Snake-People Clan, so you can help share Her Majesty’s burdens.”

Hua She Er was slightly stunned by his words. Then, a look of gratitude and determination appeared on her face as she nodded vigorously. ”I will definitely do my best and not let Her Majesty and Young Master down!”

Looking at her serious little expression, a thought flashed through Yun Xiancheng’s mind:

”Hmm... this Commander Hua She Er, though her name and appearance have a bit of a gap moe, she’s still quite good.”

”If I devour Medusa in the future, a little Beauty like this could serve as a nice dessert after the main course.” He just wondered how a snake-woman tasted compared to a human.

143 The Hun Clan’s KPIs are a bit strict.

”How could the Queen give military power to this pretty boy? Are you kidding me?”

As expected, a hot-tempered burly Snake-People chief began to question Yun Xiancheng.

Since he was an unimportant minor character and male, Yun Xiancheng directly filtered out unimportant information when listening to their self-introductions—for example, their names.

Yun Xiancheng didn’t waste words. Looking at the other seven kings, he laid out a sand table.

”The way of the military is naturally about leading troops. If you chiefs are unconvinced, then you shall see.” Three days later.

The two Dou Wang level Snake-People chiefs still had slight dissatisfaction on their faces, but their expressions were mostly obedient. They had lost miserably in the Chess Battle three days ago, so miserably that they didn’t want to recall it.

They were now thoroughly convinced by this ”pretty boy,” Yun Xiancheng. At this moment, they had arrived at the pass between the Meteorite Empire and the Great Desert.

”Is it worth having two Dou Wangs like us act together just to deal with one pass?”

”This isn’t just one pass; our mission is huge,” said another somewhat elderly Snake-People chief.

”In short, cut off their retreat first. Kill all the Auxiliary Troops along the way. Make it as chaotic as possible to force one or two of their legions to run themselves ragged, unable to participate in the main battlefield.”

The two said no more and entered slaughter mode.

In the Northwest Continent, main legions on expeditions would be equipped with storage rings to transport supplies. The Meteorite Empire had been at war for many years, so its main legions naturally used storage rings extensively to store food, medicine, pills, and other supplies for legions of over ten thousand people. However, for long-term consumption, it was still somewhat insufficient.

Usually, they would still hire some small mercenary groups as Auxiliary Troops or directly conscript civilians to transport provisions. The contents of the storage rings were often kept as a backup energy source.

Facing a Dou Wang, these civilian auxiliaries, who were mostly at the Dou Zhi Qi and Dou Practitioner levels, suffered heavy losses. One legion was forced to stop its advance and begin guarding the Supply Route.

In the post-war statistics, due to the mobile force of the two Dou Masters, that legion failed to establish an effective food transportation pipeline.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Meteorite Empire’s army, after several days of arduous marching, finally arrived in the heart of the Tagor Desert, their spearhead pointing directly at the Snake-People Holy City.

Inside the central command tent.

A cold-faced general wearing heavy armor was carefully studying a detailed desert map.

”Hmm... according to the current marching speed, we will be at the city gates in two more days.” He drew an arc on the map with his finger and said slowly, ”As long as we break through the Snake-People Holy City, the ’collection target’ the Emperor assigned this time will be mostly complete.”

He seemed to think of something, his brow furrowing imperceptibly as he whispered to himself:

”I wonder what those ’big shots’ above actually need such a massive amount of souls for... The Empire has already paid a significant price to procure these things for them. If we continue this militarism... though the country is large, those who love war will surely perish.”

He wasn’t ignorant of this principle.

But... they were, after all, high and mighty behemoths, while the generals of the Empire were merely sharp claws and teeth in their hands.

How could pawns like them casually speculate or interfere with the plans of those in power?

Shaking his head, he cast these inappropriate thoughts aside.

This general, whose cultivation had reached the Dou Huang realm, lifted the tent flap and walked out.

He looked up at the Snake-People Holy City in the distance, looming in the yellow sand and exuding an ancient and mysterious aura, a disdainful cold smile curling his lips.

”It seems these Snake-People intend to rely on the terrain to desperately stall for time.” Beside him, the lieutenant general, who was also the commander of this legion, chimed in:

”The general is absolutely right. That Queen Medusa’s attempt to evolve with the help of the Heavenly Flame is a gamble with a slim chance of survival. Do these Snake-People really think their Queen can successfully break through?”

”Nothing more than a deathbed struggle.” The Dou Huang General snorted, his tone full of contempt. He was very dismissive of the Snake-People’s seemingly stable but actually passive defensive strategy.

However... facing that dense, web-like network of fortresses, it was indeed not very cost-effective to force the soldiers to fill them with their lives. After all, their primary goal for this trip was to disrupt Medusa’s advancement, and completing that mysterious ”collection mission” was equally important.

War was the best way to collect souls. If he didn’t perform well, he feared his own soul might be taken away... the Dou Huang General thought to himself.

Why did His Majesty hook up with those terrifying existences? Is such expansion really useful? Inside the main battle camp of the Snake-People Holy City.

Yue Mei ”slid” in with a grim expression and said urgently to Yun Xiancheng, who was deep in thought before the sand table, ”Young Master Yun! The enemy has done what we expected—”

...other than that.”

”Hmm?” Yun Xiancheng looked up, his gaze sharp. ”Are they trying to find the weak points in our defensive line for a focused breakthrough?” This was within his expectations and was a standard counter-tactic against fortress group strategies.

However, Yue Mei’s expression became increasingly unsightly. She shook her head, her voice carrying a hint of unbelievable fury and... confusion. ”No, it’s not that.”

She spoke slowly, her tone strained: ”According to the scouts, they have split off a unit to bypass our main defensive line. Their target is... the settlements of unarmed Snake-People civilians scattered throughout the desert!”

”What?!” Yun Xiancheng was also stunned by the news. Massacring civilians?

What... what would be the point of that?

Was it to create panic and shake the morale of the Snake-People Clan? But as long as Medusa makes her breakthrough, what does it matter?

For a moment, he couldn’t understand the strategic intent behind the enemy’s move. However...

A strange light suddenly flashed in Yun Xiancheng’s eyes.

If the enemy really split their forces to massacre civilians, wouldn’t that mean the forces they used for the frontal assault on the city would be reduced accordingly? In that case, wouldn’t the pressure on his side to defend the Holy City be greatly reduced? Even... the possibility of defeating the enemy would greatly increase? That’s right.

Yun Xiancheng suddenly had a realization.

The logic of war in this world seemed fundamentally different from what he was familiar with in his previous life.

Because on the Fighting Qi Continent, at its core, it was still a world where the strong were respected. The outcome of a war often depended on the result of the duel between the top combatants of both sides.

As long as the high-end combatants could achieve victory, the lower-level soldiers would often stop resisting, either surrendering or scattering. After all, asking ordinary soldiers to fight to the death against Dou King Expert, Dou Huang expert, or even Dou Zong who were no longer human was no different from striking a stone with an egg. It was purely—

Not all armies possessed the resolve and will to charge fearlessly despite knowing they would die, or the willingness to suffer a 100% casualty rate just to exhaust the Fighting Qi of the opponent’s high-end combatants.

Therefore, in this world, perhaps very few people truly studied sophisticated theories of war or tactical coordination. Because most of the time, as long as one’s own ”trump card” was strong enough, it could decide everything.

And an act like massacring civilians, which seemed cruel and of little strategic significance, might, in the eyes of the opponent, merely be to achieve some goal unrelated to the war itself?

”Target”?

This country didn’t exist in the original work, but it didn’t matter; the changes wouldn’t be too big. At most, the Hun Clan was standing behind them, and this operation was to collect souls.

But would they even collect the souls of civilians? Had the KPIs for the Hun Clan Protectors become this strict?

144. Xiao Yan had killed fewer people lately; now was the perfect time to make up for it.

”Yue Mei,”

Yun Xiancheng’s gaze was solemn as he looked at the Snake-People Clan Chief beside him, his tone decisive.

”Immediately gather the Queen’s Elite Personal Guards and set out at once. You must use the fastest speed possible to annihilate that enemy unit that split off to harass the civilians.” ”Yes! Young Master!”

Yue Mei accepted the order without hesitation. She already hated the enemies who slaughtered her compatriots to the bone. ”It might be a bit dangerous for Yue Mei to go alone.”

Yun Xiancheng’s gaze turned to the Little Lion at his side. ”How about this: Yaner, you go along with Chief Yue Mei. The two of you together will be enough to ensure this trip is foolproof.”

”Okay!” Little Lion nodded obediently, skipped over to Yue Mei’s side, looked up with her small face, and said with a giggle, ”Sister Yue Mei, let’s have a pleasant cooperation!”

Yue Mei nodded at Little Lion, a hint of warmth flashing in her eyes. It was as if she had already forgotten what Little Lion looked like when playing with her ”training props.” Then, without further delay, the Fighting Qi wings on her back suddenly unfurled, and her figure turned into a stream of light. Taking Little Lion and Medusa’s Snake-People personal guards, she quickly—

—disappeared into the horizon.

After they left, the atmosphere in the tent became heavy once again.

Yun Ziyi extended her jade finger and lightly tapped the sand table on the table, reminding him:

”Lord Guan, since the enemy dared to split their forces and target civilians directly, I’m afraid it’s not as simple as just creating panic.”

”I suspect that within the unit they split off, there must be hidden a force sufficient to threaten or even pin down some of our Dou King Experts. That’s why you had Yaner follow them.”

”Yes. If it were just the Snake-People Tribe, they would inevitably only send one Dou King to face this unit. The enemy would certainly be prepared for that, and might even have a hidden card to take out that Dou King.”

Yun Xiancheng nodded, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. ”It’s just a pity we have too few Dou Kings, and we need to weaken the enemy’s main force gathering time.” He looked at Yun Ziyi, his gaze gentle yet full of trust: ”Ziyi, later on, I’ll have to trouble you with that enemy Dou Huang General.”

”You don’t need to rush for victory. You only need to control the battlefield within our fortress cluster. Use the defensive works of those fortresses and the fearless attacks of the garrison to constantly drain his Fighting Qi and keep him pinned down.”

”Alright.” Yun Ziyi nodded in agreement, battle intent surging in her purple eyes.

She practiced a Middle Earth Class Cultivation Technique and was a transformed magical beast. She was confident she could handle the enemy, not to mention she had helpers.

Then, Yun Xiancheng’s gaze turned to the remaining five Snake-People Clan Chiefs in the tent, his tone becoming solemn: ”Five seniors, the upcoming battle will depend on you.”

”If the enemy’s Dou King Experts come out in full force to bully us with numbers, then please, five seniors, you must form a battle array. Do not seek to kill the enemy; just do your best to pin them down, to buy time and space for Ziyi and our garrison.”

”But... if the enemy’s Dou Kings don’t all act, or if they are successfully pinned down by our side, leaving that enemy Dou Huang isolated and without help...” Yun Xiancheng’s voice suddenly turned sharp, ”then please, five seniors, seize the opportunity to coordinate with Ziyi and work together to surround and kill him!”

”Since he dares to be so arrogant and venture alone deep into our clan’s heartland, then we must make him pay a heavy price for it!” The five Snake-People Clan Chiefs were all invigorated upon hearing this and responded in unison: ”We obey the Young Master’s command!”

Finally, Yun Xiancheng’s gaze fell upon Hua She Er, who had been standing quietly to the side like a shadow.

”Commander Hua She Er,” he asked, ”with your strength, if you were to hide in the shadows and launch a fatal sneak attack—”

—against a Dou Huang General who is in the middle of a fierce battle, how much confidence do you have in succeeding?”

Hua She Er thought for a moment and answered truthfully: ”Reporting to the Young Master, if the opponent is a Dou Huang expert, my full-power strike could at most cause a certain degree of injury. It would be impossible to kill them on the spot.”

”Then... what if the target is changed to a Dou King?” Yun Xiancheng pressed.

”A certain kill!” Hua She Er replied decisively, her tone full of strong confidence, as if killing a Dou King of the same level was as easy as reaching into a bag for something.

But she was already at the Peak Dou Wang level now; striking from the shadows, she might indeed have a chance.

Yun Xiancheng had always adhered to the idea that it was better to cut off one finger than to injure ten. If they could take down one of the enemy’s Dou Kings in the first battle, the blow to the enemy’s morale would be unparalleled.

”Very good.” Yun Xiancheng nodded with satisfaction. ”Then in a while, you will temporarily hide your presence and act as a surprise force, lurking near the battlefield. Your mission—”

—is not to harass that Dou Huang, but...”

A cold light flashed in his eyes: ”Seize the most appropriate moment and, with the momentum of a thunderbolt, you must... take down one of the enemy’s Dou Kings!”

”Yes! This subordinate understands!” Hua She Er took the order, her figure swaying slightly as she merged into the air, quietly disappearing from the tent as if she had never appeared.

At this moment, she was like a poisoned dagger hidden in the shadows, quietly waiting for the moment to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy. All tactical arrangements and deployments were complete.

Yun Ziyi slowly stood up, sensing the increasingly close and aggressive Dou Huang aura from the distant horizon. A raging battle intent burned in her purple eyes.

”It seems it’s time for me to make my appearance.” Her red lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a hint of uncontrollable excitement.

Her first truly evenly matched battle since transforming into human form... was about to begin!

She and Yun Xiancheng exchanged a look; no words were needed, as everything was understood between them.