Alien Race's Fierce Assault, Staggered Formation Shows Its Might

The hoofbeats drew closer and closer, like drumbeats hammering the sand, numbing the soles of their feet. Chen Wuya stood at the edge of the elevated platform marking the formation's core, his right hand clenched around his broken blade and his left pressed to his chest, feeling the Misaligned Force slowly circulate within him. That brief bout of breath regulation had barely suppressed the throbbing pain of his old wounds, but the gash in his shoulder was still seeping blood, soaking half his clothes.

He had no time to dress it.

"Report your positions!" His voice was not loud, yet it pierced through the windblown sand and reached every squad leader clearly.

"Left wing in position!"

"Third squad of the right wing has shifted into position!"

"Central force rendezvous complete!"

Responses came from all directions, carrying both tension and resolve. The outline of the Staggered Formation had long been drawn across the sand, and now, as the soldiers took their positions, it was gradually infused with true qi. Chen Wuya closed his eyes for an instant as a system prompt appeared:

[Staggered Formation · Basic Version—Activated. Energy circulation established.]

It worked.

He opened his eyes, his gaze locked on the roiling dust in the distance. The enemy had arrived faster than expected. Their vanguard cavalry had already closed to within two li, and the yellow sand kicked up by their hooves blotted out the sky. This was no probe—it was the full assault.

"Lightness-art group, shift positions early!" At his command, more than a dozen swordsmen on the high ground to the right sprang into the air at once. Like birds skimming the heavens, they traced irregular arcs through the air and landed precisely on their assigned nodes. As they touched down, their feet tapped lightly against the