Ready

A moment later, someone came to the study door. Ding Desheng immediately went out, listened as the person whispered a few words in his ear, and then returned to the study.

Seeing that Yang Chengmou was still busy, he did not disturb him. Instead, he waited until Yang Chengmou looked up before saying, "Tower Lord, the Divine General Department sent word that they need a large amount of Yin Spring Brew. It can help them recover their Magic Power!"

Brewing wine had always been the Spirit Source Land's strongest industry. Over the years, the Spirit Source Land had brewed several hundred kinds of wine, each with different effects.

In many cases, this Spirit Wine could be used in place of pills.

As for foreign trade, the Spirit Source Land's Spirit Wine was also one of its primary products. Whether in dealings with the Hengshan Sect or elsewhere, Spirit Wine was always among the goods sold.

Most importantly, the Spirit Source Land had cellared a great deal of Spirit Wine, from the original Hundred Fruits Brew and Drunken Immortal Brew to the Yin Spring Brew, Yang Spring Brew, and Qingxuan Brew of today.

Yin Spring Brew nourished the spirit soul. When consumed by cultivators, it could nourish their spirit souls; when consumed by Yin Soul Divine Generals, it could restore their Magic Power and increase their cultivation.

Qingxuan Brew was brewed mainly from Qingxuan Spirit Fruits. It could assist cultivators in Foundation Establishment and help them digest Foundation Establishment Pills more effectively during the process.

Yang Chengmou took out the document submitted by the Divine General Department and signed it. "Have the Reserve Depot allocate it to them!"

Whether pills or wine, both were resources. With a great battle about to begin, Yang Chengmou naturally would not be stingy. As long as the frontline troops needed something, he would provide it with all his might.

At that moment, the Reserve Depot was already in utter chaos. Inside the enormous chambers carved through the mountains, sealed Formations and stone doors were opened one after another. Large quantities of resources were dragged out of the Storage Rooms, while hundreds and thousands of Martial Artists moved boxes of supplies marked with talismans out of the Reserve Depot like ants carrying food.

On the spacious plaza before the Reserve Depot stood more than a dozen Blazing Sun Flying Boats. Large quantities of supplies were loaded aboard. Once one Flying Boat was filled, it started up and flew toward the Teleportation Hall in Jade Capital City.

The Reserve Depot of the Spirit Source Land was immense—so immense that it had nearly hollowed out more than a dozen mountains. It contained over three thousand Storage Rooms, each of varying size; even the smallest covered more than a thousand square meters.

They stored all kinds of supplies, including Spirit Stones, ores, Spirit Medicines, pills, Spirit Wine, Spirit Tea, Dharma Artifacts, Magic Treasures, armaments, Dharma Robes, Spirit Rice, and more.

Different supplies required different Storage Rooms, all of which were isolated by Formations.

For example, the Storage Rooms used for storing Spirit Stones required Spirit Locking Arrays to prevent the spiritual energy within the Spirit Stones from dissipating.

The Storage Rooms used for storing Spirit Wine were also called Cellar Rooms. They had strict requirements for humidity, temperature, and spiritual energy concentration.

As for storing Spirit Medicines, medicinal herbs could not simply be tossed into a Storage Room. They had to be processed and made into medicinal materials before they could be stored for long periods.

Moreover, Spirit Medicines did not merely refer to medicinal materials processed from herbs. They also included medicinal materials made from ores and spiritual liquids, as well as Demonic Beast bones, blood, and the like. Each type of medicinal material had its own special storage requirements.

The Spirit Source Land relied on Alchemy as a pillar industry, so it had an enormous demand for stored medicinal materials.

These seemingly insignificant details were precisely what revealed the depth of an influence.

The Spirit Source Land had over two hundred years of accumulated foundation. Compared with influences that had inherited their legacies for thousands of years, the Spirit Source Land's history could be said to be utterly insignificant.

Yet the Spirit Source Land possessed an advantage that many influences lacked: its internal production.

This mainly concerned the production of first- and second-grade Spiritual Items. In the past, the Spirit Source Land had found it difficult to achieve self-sufficiency in low-grade Spiritual Items, primarily because its categories were incomplete.

But as time passed, and as the Spirit Source Land cultivated and transplanted more Spiritual Items, it now achieved self-sufficiency for eighty percent of its low-grade Spiritual Items with the help of countless Blessed Lands.

Moreover, sixty percent of its low-grade Spiritual Items could be sold externally in exchange for Spirit Stones, satisfying the Spirit Source Land's internal spiritual energy consumption.

Trade with the Hengshan Sect served two purposes: first, to obtain a complete range of low-grade Spiritual Items; second, to earn Spirit Stones.

The same was true of its business in Wanbao Immortal City. However, when doing business in Wanbao Immortal City, it could occasionally purchase some third-grade Spiritual Items, making up for the Spirit Source Land's shortage of them.

At present, White Jade Capital had reached a highly sufficient level in low-grade Spiritual Items and low-grade resources. What it lacked most, instead, were the third-grade Spiritual Items required by Golden Core cultivators and Demon Kings.

In truth, every influence lacked third-grade Spiritual Items. From Tianxian Dao and the four great influences above, to those Foundation Establishment influences seeking Core Formation below, not one dared claim that it did not lack third-grade Spiritual Items.

As war approached, this machine that had lain dormant for so long in the Spirit Source Land finally burst into new life.

Everything seemed incredibly busy, yet everything proceeded in perfect order.

Large numbers of personnel entered the Forward Outpost Base, and large quantities of supplies were distributed into the hands of the soldiers. At the same time, even more supplies were piled up in the temporary warehouses of the Forward Outpost Base.

Temporary warehouses had far fewer requirements. The supplies stored there would soon be consumed, so they needed no Formations. They merely had to be kept dry for temporary storage.

Several days later, the Forward Outpost Base completed its basic construction. The mountain peaks to the east and west were enveloped by the Guardian Array, while city walls more than ten Zhang high had been built at the openings to the north and south.

Built from mountain rock, the walls looked rugged and magnificent. Talismanic patterns were carved into every stone, and these patterns connected with the Guardian Array. As long as the Array did not break, the walls would not collapse.

The walls were more than ten Zhang wide at the base and three Zhang wide at the top, with trapezoidal cross-sections. However, they were not solid structures. There were many chambers inside, as well as numerous reserved openings on the outer side. Each chamber contained twelve Puppets, operated in shifts by six Puppet Masters.

The Puppet Masters were responsible only for operating the Puppets. Behind them, large numbers of Martial Artists transported supplies, while Artifact Casters and Formation Masters repaired the Puppets. There were even some idle Puppets serving as a reserve force.

The soldiers of the Jade Capital Guard formed the main force atop the walls. Bows and arrows were their primary weapons. As long as the Formation did not break, they would not need to engage the enemy in close combat.

Above the walls hung one Vermilion Bird Flying Boat and Blazing Sun Flying Boat after another. Hundreds of Flying Boats floated in the sky, enveloping the entire Forward Outpost Base like a barrier.

The entire defensive perimeter included not only the sky and the walls, but also the ground below. However, there were no personnel guarding underground; only Formations protected it.

The Yellow Earth Thick Spirit Array was already connected to the Earth Vein, which meant that the entire Forward Outpost Base had nearly fused with the Earth Vein.

To attack the Forward Outpost Base from underground, they would first have to sever the Earth Vein.

Under ordinary circumstances, few people tampered with Earth Veins during an offensive or defensive battle. The reason was simple: Earth Veins involved far too much, and no one knew what kind of consequences disturbing one would bring.

Moreover, shaking an Earth Vein was no easy task. If one merely regulated an Earth Vein, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could accomplish it, though it would take a very long time. But if one wanted to sever an Earth Vein, let alone a Foundation Establishment Cultivator—even a Golden Core cultivator would find it extremely difficult.

The Earth Vein not only guaranteed the energy output of the Yellow Earth Thick Spirit Array, but also ensured the stability of the Array's underground portion.

For that reason, Ma Qiuyan and Ning Yun had first chosen to connect the Yellow Earth Thick Spirit Array to the Earth Vein instead of the Spirit Vein.

The initial preparations were complete, and the first wave of the Twenty-two Yin Soldier Armies was about to arrive.

Inside the Forward Outpost Base.

Yang Zhengshan, Yunxiao, Green Ox, Kou Ta, and Hong Fuxiu gathered in the pavilion at the center.

Yu Qingyi was still in seclusion. Yue Yao and Xuan Zhen were still conducting guerrilla operations in the mountains, while Lin Xiqiu was outside investigating the enemy's movements. Void Shuttle could conceal not only one's aura and Qi Mechanism, but also move extremely fast. Thus, Lin Xiqiu had become the Spirit Source Land's first scout, responsible for investigating the surroundings.

A sand table sat before them. However, it was not made from sand and soil, but woven from grass and wood. Green Ox had used his Divine Ability to Communicate with Ten Thousand Trees to shape the terrain within Three Thousand Li of the Forward Outpost Base.

The Yin Soldier Army was sweeping southward from the north. Within this Three Thousand Li area were eight Yin Soldier Armies. One stood directly before the Forward Outpost Base, while the other seven were between eight hundred and Three Thousand Li away.

"According to the information provided by Daoist Lin, the first Yin Soldier Army will reach the vicinity of the Forward Outpost Base tomorrow morning. At first, there may be only a little over a thousand Yin Soldier Blood Puppets, but once the battle begins, this Yin Soldier Army of roughly two hundred thousand will gather within an hour!"

"This Yin Soldier Army will be easy to deal with. It's only two hundred thousand. With our strength, we can completely wipe them out in a short time."

"The real trouble comes afterward. Once we eliminate the first Yin Soldier Army, the surrounding Yin Soldier Armies will rush toward us at full speed."

"According to the marching speed of the Yin Soldier Armies, the second Yin Soldier Army will arrive five to six hours after the first battle ends!"

"After that, another group of Yin Soldier Armies will arrive every five to eight hours or so, until all twenty-two Yin Soldier Armies have been wiped out!"

"However, the Wuchang Ghost Sect should not wait until all the Yin Soldier Armies have been destroyed before reacting. I estimate that once eight to ten Yin Soldier Armies have been wiped out, the Wuchang Ghost Sect will respond and dispatch Golden Core cultivators!"

"At present, we know that the Soul Refining Hall of the Wuchang Ghost Sect is responsible for sweeping through the Wanhua Mountain Range. The first Golden Core cultivator to come investigate the situation should not be an important figure from the Soul Refining Hall. It may be someone at the level of a Division Master or Deputy Division Master!"

"Once we kill that Golden Core cultivator, the Soul Refining Hall will surely go into a frenzy. By then, several Golden Core cultivators may attack together!"

Yunxiao briefly explained the situation, then looked up at Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan stared at the sand table, deep in thought. "How many Golden Core cultivators does the Soul Refining Hall have?"

"We don't know. Although we've gathered a great deal of information about the Wuchang Ghost Sect, it has always acted independently. The various influences understand it only on the surface!"

"According to the information provided by Wanbao Immortal City, the Soul Refining Hall should have eight to ten Golden Core cultivators," Yunxiao replied.

Investigating the intelligence of Immortal Cultivator influences could not be done through infiltration or covert entry. It was not that people could not be sent into enemy influences, but that doing so took far too long.

To enter an Immortal Cultivator influence, a Martial Artist would certainly not do. One had to possess a Spirit Aperture.

Possessing a Spirit Aperture was merely the minimum requirement. Even if one successfully entered an enemy influence, one would only be a low-level disciple.

A low-level disciple could not provide any useful intelligence. By the time that disciple grew up, at least a hundred years would have passed.

In an influence like the Wuchang Ghost Sect, even Foundation Establishment Cultivators could not come into contact with high-level information. Only after reaching the Golden Core Realm could one access intelligence from the upper echelons.

Setting aside how long it would take to reach the Golden Core Realm, how could one guarantee that the person would remain loyal after becoming a Golden Core cultivator?

Thus, using infiltration to investigate intelligence was nothing but a thankless, laborious task.

With that time, it would be better to gather information on the open market, ask around, or purchase it directly, then separate the false from the true. That way, one could still obtain quite a bit of useful intelligence.

"Eight to ten. That really is quite a lot!" Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly.

A single Soul Refining Hall was comparable to White Jade Capital. This showed just how powerful the Wuchang Ghost Sect was.

However, quantity was only quantity. Sometimes, numbers were not the key to victory or defeat.

Ten or twenty, it made no difference. As long as they had no Half-step Entering Dao experts, Yang Zhengshan did not fear how many there were.

Strictly speaking, Half-step Entering Dao experts were also Golden Core cultivators. It was simply that their Divine Path Intent was one minor level above Golden Core Peak. But in the Immortal Cultivator world, the status of Half-step Entering Dao experts and those in the Golden Core Realm was worlds apart.

That was because there was an enormous gap in strength between the two.

Once Divine Path Intent reached its extreme, one's strength would expand dozens of times.

Yang Zhengshan had only learned of the gap between the two after reaching Half-step Entering Dao. As a result, his current state of mind had become somewhat inflated, and he had developed a tendency to look down on Golden Core cultivators.

"We may be able to withstand the Soul Refining Hall's attack, but once we inflict enormous losses on the Soul Refining Hall, the Wuchang Ghost Sect may very well commit all its forces. By then, perhaps even the Wuchang Ghost Sect's Sect Master, Chang Buzai, will come over!" Yunxiao warned.

To be honest, he was still quite worried.

In his eyes, the Wuchang Ghost Sect remained a colossal entity. With White Jade Capital's strength, they should not clash with such a behemoth.

It was only because Yang Zhengshan insisted that he had been unable to object.

He was not the only one. The others had the same concern. After all, the Wuchang Ghost Sect's fierce reputation was truly too great.

Yang Zhengshan naturally knew what they were worried about, so he reassured them, "Rest assured. I have my own way of dealing with Chang Buzai."

"As for everything else, there's no need to rush. We'll take it slowly!"

This battle would last a very long time, with enemies coming wave after wave. Yang Zhengshan was not afraid of the battle lasting too long; he was only afraid that the Wuchang Ghost Sect would commit all its forces and charge over in one overwhelming rush.

At dawn, the mountains roused themselves from slumber, and ravine winds carried fresh dew slowly outward. The ink-dark sky gradually faded, while between the eastern ridges, a fish-belly white first seeped across the horizon, and sparse stars fell into the dark-green peaks.

Then the golden sun broke through the mist. Pine needles sifted the warm, gentle morning light into fragments, while thin fog drifted over the verdant mountains like plain silk brushing across jagged bones of stone.

Once the morning sun had fully emerged and the thin mist dispersed like silk coming undone, shadowy figures suddenly surged forth among the mountain forests north of the Forward Outpost Base.