Sneak Attack

Azure Cloud Prefecture is located in the southeast of Long'an Circuit, and according to the war zone division, it should belong to Zhen'an Prefecture.

Yang Tianyou is currently a captain in the Vanguard Army reconnaissance battalion of Azure Cloud Prefecture, commanding an elite Scout force. The weakest among them is at the mid- Mid Sage Manifestation realm, while the strongest is a young man at the Void Refinement Great Perfection realm. Initially, this man was quite unconvinced by Yang Tianyou, but after Yang Tianyou revealed his Blade Dao Principle, he broke out in a cold sweat and apologized.

Cultivation level is always the primary indicator for dominating the Cultivation World.

Soon, with a command from the Prince of Long'an, the army set off, with Yang Tianyou's Vanguard Battalion at the forefront, arriving first at Golden Pool City in Jing'an Prefecture.

Under the golden sunlight, this magnificent city seemed to be covered with a layer of gold paint, shining brightly and dazzlingly.

Upon arriving in Golden Pool City, the summoned cultivators enjoyed a period of leisure as the war had not yet broken out and both sides were making preparations for war.

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, above the Kuanglong River, tens of thousands of ships set sail simultaneously, and the combined aura of hundreds of millions of cultivators shook the heavens and the earth.

The Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty launched an attack.

The massive army's attack was so powerful and overwhelming that it could not be concealed.

The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty discovered the situation immediately and took full precautions.

In Golden Pool City, Yang Tianyou stood atop the city wall, activating his Pupil Technique. In the distance, the Weapon Sha Qi gathered into clusters of black and red clouds, slowly moving towards his side.

Dark clouds loomed over the city, threatening to crush it; armor gleamed in the sun like golden scales. Under the tense gaze of the Azure Cloud Prefecture cultivators, a Fleet appeared, like a sharp knife cleaving the sky.

Boom!

A golden beam of light, hundreds of feet thick, shot straight towards them. It was incredibly fast, striking the city wall of Golden Pool City in the blink of an eye. Under the control of the array spirit, the Defensive Formation automatically opened, and layers of pure Spiritual Qi formed a protective shield like an inverted bowl, firmly protecting Golden Pool City inside.

With a loud thud, the two sides collided, and a terrifying shockwave formed a hurricane that swept outwards from Golden Pool City. Wherever the hurricane passed, the earth cracked, and majestic Heroic Peaks were uprooted and scattered into dust.

Under attack, Golden Pool City was not merely on the defensive. At the command of the Golden Pool City, the attack Formation set up on the city walls was activated. This was an Eighth Tier Fire-Attribute Formation. As the Formation was activated, the massive amount of Spiritual Qi stored in the Spirit Veins beneath Golden Pool City was rapidly drawn out. Under the transformation and condensation of Array Mark, it turned into Volcano spewing black smoke. Each of these Volcano was thousands of feet high, standing majestically above Golden Pool City. One after another, they erupted towering columns of lava, which then made a turn in the sky and shot directly at the attacking Fleet of the Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty.

The sky was filled with crimson light, and drops of scorching lava fell, igniting flames. For a moment, the entire world seemed to have turned into a world of fire.

"Defensive formation!!"

Commander of this army of cultivators was a young general, handsome and extraordinary. He methodically deployed warships, arranging them in a formation resembling the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern, steadily blocking the pillars of lava and fire.

"Continue the attack! Give them a good beating! Don't be stingy with Spirit Stones. We've been raising an army for a thousand days to use it for one. The time has come to serve the court."

The soldiers in this Fleet were all trained from childhood, and their loyalty to the Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty was beyond question, far surpassing that of the recruited allied forces from various sects. After hearing the encouragement from their valiant general, they all went all out, pouring their Law Power into the core of the warship's Formation.

On the Golden Pool City side, City Lord Muyunzi personally took charge, his voice spreading with the Spiritual Qi and reaching the ears of every cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Friends, we are all cultivators from Azure Cloud Prefecture. Once Golden Pool City falls, the traitor Zhao will march straight in, slaughter our relatives and friends, and plunder the Cultivation Resources that rightfully belong to us. Are you willing to accept this?"

"I don't want to!!"

"Kill all the Zhao traitors!!"

The accomplice arranged by City Lord Muyunzi below responded loudly, his hoarse voice making it seem as if he harbored a deep grudge against the Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty.

However, this incentive did have a significant effect. Coupled with the lure of Merits, although the morale of the cultivators in Golden Pool City was not as high as that of the professional Cultivator Legions of the Great Zhao, they had no problem defending the city with the city's Formation.

And so, the fierce battle for Golden Pool City raged on.

Although this was merely a battle for a small city compared to the entire defensive line, the intensity of the fighting was something Yang Tianyou had never witnessed before. He couldn't help but sigh and ponder how magnificent the legendary Extraterrestrial Battlefield, where immortals were said to have fallen like rain, truly was.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye. The siege of Golden Pool City, which had been fierce and intense at the beginning, quickly calmed down. As if they had agreed on a time, they attacked and defended, and took regular breaks.

The initial, all-or-nothing fighting spirit of the early days of the war was gone. Ultimately, Golden Pool City wasn't a strategic location, and it wasn't worth fighting to the death there.

Yang Tianyou was finally assigned a mission to lead his men in a surprise attack on the enemy's reinforcements.

The war was not limited to the struggle between cities; it was not a point-to-point battle, but a line-to-line battle, or even a face-to-face battle—a fierce confrontation in all directions and multiple fields.

Centered on Golden Pool City, there are dozens of other cities of varying sizes, with wars of varying intensity.

These cities are an important auxiliary force protecting Golden Pool City. Losing one or two is not a big deal, but if too many are lost, the Great Zhao Fleet can encircle Golden Pool City. At that time, there will be more means to be used, such as large-scale siege Formations, and Golden Pool City will no longer be impregnable.

Above the wilderness, a slight ripple appeared in space before disappearing. With the help of the Void Worms and the Formless Insect, Yang Tianyou led his cultivators and successfully infiltrated the rear of the Great Zhao army.

The task given to him was to harass Zhao Kingdom's reinforcements as much as possible, but Yang Tianyou had a much bigger appetite.

The strongest cultivators around Golden Pool City are only at the Body Integration. Yang Tianyou, who possesses the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace, is almost invincible in one-on-one combat. Of course, in order to prevent Great Zhao from having any hidden trump cards and to avoid exposing the existence of the Fencang Furnace, Yang Tianyou decided to focus on guerrilla warfare and ambushes.

With Zhiming around, he had an uncanny understanding of the military movements of the Great Zhao.

And so, Yang Tianyou, like a butterfly flitting through the clouds, shuttled back and forth between Fleets, searching for his target.

"Senior Great White, aren't we being a bit too arrogant? Once the Great Zhao discover us, in such a narrow area, if they surround us, there will be no way to escape." In the void, a cultivator with a goatee said earnestly, trying to persuade Yang Tianyou to change his mind.

The other cultivators also looked terrified. They were up to no good, causing trouble right under the noses of the Great Zhao army. If they were discovered, things would get really messed up.

"Don't worry, would I joke about my own life?"

Yang Tianyou said with a half-smile, "Could it be that you're scared before the battle even begins and want to desert?"

"Of course not!!"

The cultivators shook their heads repeatedly. They were joking; if they admitted it, this man could send them to their deaths without even needing the Great Zhao army.

"Since you don't want to desert, then obediently follow orders. Don't worry, if you follow me, you'll definitely get your share of Military Merits!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhiming's voice suddenly rang in Yang Tianyou's mind. "Master, a group of the Zhao Kingdom soldiers has been spotted. Judging from their direction, they should be reinforcing Yun Hai Mountain."

"Oh? How strong are you?" Yang Tianyou asked.

"Two cultivators at the Void Refinement Great Perfection are leading the team, along with eight other Void Refinement cultivators, a hundred Sage Manifestation, and a total of one hundred thousand mid-to -Low-Rank Cultivators. They are piloting two high-grade Seventh Tier warships, making them very powerful, but we can easily take them down with our strength," Zhiming analyzed.

"Alright, in that case, our target this time will be this support force."

Having made his decision, Yang Tianyou turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the cultivators before him. "Target located. Prepare for battle. If anyone shows any sign of slackening in combat, I won't even need the Zhao Kingdom cultivators to lift a finger; I'll send them on their way to Reincarnation."

As he spoke, a wisp of Blade Dao Principle power swirled around Yang Tianyou, and the chilling killing aura made the cultivators' hearts tremble. They hurriedly took out their most treasured possessions and secretly activated their Divine Abilities to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Six thousand eight hundred miles west of Yun Hai Mountain, two Heroic Peaks stand tall, covered with lush vegetation, and the sounds of tigers roaring and monkeys howling can be heard echoing through the clouds.

Two warships sped towards them in the distance, their surfaces adorned with solemn-looking cultivators clad in the iconic dark Battle Armor of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Just as the two warships were about to pass through the gap between the Heroic Peaks, a vast Formation suddenly appeared.

This Formation was not set up by Tongming, but was obtained by Yang Tianyou from the Blackstone Prefecture. It is a top-grade Seventh Tier formation and is a killing Formation.

Above the sky, countless Array Mark converged, transforming into a gigantic maw of yellow sand.

With each opening and closing of its massive mouth, it blew out a cloud of sand.

Wherever the sandstorm passed, darkness descended, the sun and moon lost their light, and the two once lush and verdant mountain peaks were left bare, and as time went on, they were visibly sinking.

Despite being suddenly ambushed, the Great Zhao on the warship remained calm. He directed his soldiers to hold their posts and activate the Defensive Formation while simultaneously using Communication Talisman to contact the main army behind them and request reinforcements.

"Don't panic, this is within our control. The Zhou army is definitely outnumbered. As long as we hold out, the general will send reinforcements soon!"

"Support? Ha! None of you are leaving today!!"

A nonchalant chuckle pierced through the Formation's barrier and reached the ears of the Zhao Kingdom soldiers. Immediately afterward, everyone felt a tightness in their skin, as if pricked by needles, sending chills down their spines. The feeling of death washed over each soldier like a tidal wave, relentlessly assaulting their psychological defenses.

Clang!!

The clear, resonant Blade Cry Yunxiao the heavens, tearing space into fragments.

A massive, imposing Heavenly Blade effortlessly sliced through the warship's Defensive Formation, cleaving one of the warships in two.

"Hiss..."

The Azure Cloud Prefecture cultivators following Yang Tianyou gasped in shock upon seeing this. They knew Yang Tianyou was very strong, after all, after comprehending the Power of Principle, his combat strength had already surpassed the Void Refinement level and reached the Body Integration Realm.

However, wasn't it a bit too brutal to cleave a Seventh Tier high-grade warship in two with a single strike?

Even a proper Nascent Body Integration Cultivator might not be able to do that, so could it be that this Senior Great White is even stronger than Body Integration Cultivator?

"What are you all standing there for? Sweep up the remaining enemy ships! I'm going to take down the other warship!!"

Yang Tianyou let out a low shout, stepped through the air, and in a few steps arrived at the side of another warship, raising his sword in a furious slash.

This warship is the primary target of the Yellow Formation and is currently trapped in a vortex formed by rolling yellow sand, unable to extricate itself.

When Yang Tianyou brought down his sword, despair filled everyone's eyes.

"It seems we won't be getting reinforcements. But to die at the hands of such a powerful figure is a worthy death!" The warship Commander sighed softly, summoning his Spirit Treasure. Although he knew the odds were against him, he still wanted to die a dignified death.

With a flash of light, this warship followed in the footsteps of the first one.

After taking the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yang Tianyou cleared out the fleeing Zhao Kingdom cultivators, put away the Formation, and left with a large pile of spoils.

An hour later, three jet-black warships arrived. A Body Integration Cultivator, accompanied by four Void Refinement cultivators, flew out of the warships. After inspecting the battlefield, the Body Integration Cultivator, holding a wisp of Spiritual Qi in his hand, said with a grave expression, "It's actually the Blade Dao Principle. No wonder it was able to break through the warships' Defensive Formations so quickly. However, the intelligence didn't mention any Nascent Body Integration Cultivators skilled in the Dao of the Blade Dao near Golden Pool City."

"They might have been transferred from another region, or perhaps they just broke through not long ago," speculated a Void Refinement cultivator standing nearby.

"Yes, that makes sense. Report this information and notify all legions operating in this area to be extremely cautious, keep detection Formation active at all times, and prevent enemy attacks!"

"Yes, sir!!"

On the other side, Yang Tianyou and his cultivators were distributing treasures in the void.

Although these cultivators didn't play a significant role, Yang Tianyou was generous, distributing a large portion of the spoils of war, which made his subordinates less afraid of him and more respectful.

The quickest way to win people over boils down to four words: coercion and enticement.

Compared to Mortal, cultivators are simply more powerful. They still have aspirations and a greed for resources, treasures, and higher status. As long as you grasp this point, you can quickly win over a large number of supporters.

"Senior Great White, what should we do next? Which unit should we ambush?" a cultivator asked, his words carrying a hint of impatience.

Seeing this, Yang Tianyou teased, "Didn't you guys advise me before not to attack the enemy's support troops in the territory controlled by the Great Zhao army? Why did you change your mind?"

"Isn't this because of your unparalleled divine power, senior? We subordinates were blind to your Taishan before..."

"Alright, alright," Yang Tianyou waved his hand, interrupting his endless flattery, "Let's rest for three days first, then we'll set out again."

"Yes, sir!"