Illusions and Illusion Arrays
One month later, the Heavenly Azure Continent Allied Forces established a temporary base.
"Hahaha~"
Inside a grand hall, hearty, rugged laughter rang out as representatives of various factions gathered together.
"What makes Sect Master Yan so excited?"
Huangfu Shenghua, who had just returned from the front lines, asked the owner of the voice curiously.
"What else could it be?"
The petite and adorable Ling Long Sect Master rolled her eyes cutely.
"So what if you're about to break through? You're making it sound like you're the only one who isn't."
"Oh? Congratulations, Sect Master Yan!" Huangfu Shenghua said.
"Tch, what's there to congratulate?"
"Look at this one, his tail is wagging so high." Ling Long said with a hint of jealousy.
"Haha, Sect Master Ling, I know."
Sect Master Yan cheerfully adopted a posture of not wanting to dwell on the matter.
"Some people are just sour grapes!"
"You big oaf, who are you talking about?" Ling Long said unhappily.
"Wow, you guys are all so energetic!"
"As expected of a young person, they are in great health."
An aged yet peaceful voice rang out in the hall, and a slightly hunched figure emerged from the shadows.
"Old Yang!"
Upon seeing the newcomer, everyone immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. Even Yan Lie put away his previous arrogance and behaved himself.
Since Yang Jiuxiao fully revealed his strength in the first battle, these sect Sect Master who usually acted like they were second only to the heavens and the earth have unconsciously placed themselves as juniors when facing him, not because of seniority, but because of the absolute suppression of his strength.
"What are you doing standing there? It's tiring."
"Please sit down."
Yang Jiuxiao walked to his seat and waved to the crowd below.
Once everyone was seated again, Yang Jiuxiao's expression turned serious, and he began to get down to business.
"We've been fighting this battle for a month now. What are your thoughts?"
The group looked at each other in silence.
"You're not going to tell us?"
Yang Jiuxiao raised an eyebrow.
"Then I'll personally call someone!"
"Palace Master Huangfu, please tell me."
"Old Yang, everyone."
Huangfu Shenghua rose and greeted the crowd.
"What impressed me most about this battle was that our Tian Lan side had been at peace for too long, and our morale seemed a bit weak."
As soon as Huangfu Shenghua voiced his opinion, many powerful figures in the hall couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Weakness is Huangfu Shenghua's polite way of putting it. Top experts at the Nine Palaces Realm are alright; the years of tempering have forged a Dao heart as firm as a rock.
However, the morale of the Heavenly Azure Allied Forces' rank-and-file soldiers was extremely fragile, especially when they encountered opponents like the Illusion Demon Race who were adept at manipulating people's minds, this weakness was magnified infinitely.
During the great war, an extremely heinous incident occurred: a Second-rate Force Sect Master of a second-rate power, a mid-stage Eight Trigrams Realm expert, was ambushed by the Illusion Demon Race's illusion magic and then ruthlessly killed his comrades, resulting in the deaths of several Eight Trigrams Realm experts.
One move affects the whole situation. The battlefield under their command quickly collapsed, and the Extraterrestrial Evil race took advantage of the situation to invade. The Supreme Elder of Ten Thousand Seas Gate, a Nine Palaces Realm expert, was besieged and severely injured. If it weren't for the timely discovery and support from the surrounding experts, who knows how much greater the losses would have been.
The Eight Trigrams Realm, with fewer than a hundred experts in the Nine Palaces Realm, is already a peak expert whose every stomp can make the surrounding area tremble. Yet, they couldn't even resist a mere illusion. Even if the enemy was prepared but caught off guard, this outcome shouldn't have happened.
At the very least, isn't it only natural to remain vigilant at all times in a place as dangerous as the battlefield?
"Snort!"
Yan Lie snorted coldly and slammed his hand on the table beside him.
"If you ask me, we should just hold a test, and everyone who fails can get out."
"Those people who stayed on the battlefield were only harming themselves and others."
He has a fiery temper and can't stand anyone who holds him back. However, given the current shortage of combat power, it's impossible for the group to act on Yan Lie's momentary anger.
"Sect Master Yan, please calm down and listen to what Palace Master Huangfu has to say?"
Yang Jiuxiao smiled and comforted Yan Lie for a while, then turned his gaze to Huangfu Shenghua.
The latter understood and continued:
"The actual situation is not as serious as you imagine."
"It is true that the overall morale of our Heavenly Azure Allied Forces is relatively weak, but in the past month of the great war, everyone has grown rapidly, and I believe they will satisfy you all."
War is the cruelest selection process; those with high talent, strong abilities, and good luck will stand out in the treacherous battlefield.
The bloodshed and carnage on the battlefield constantly assault the mind, allowing one to adapt quickly. This mental tempering is hundreds or even thousands of times faster than ordinary methods. As for those unlucky souls who cannot adapt to the battlefield, they will naturally be eliminated midway and leave the stage at the cost of death.
"We can't just ignore this matter."
Yan Lie raised objections.
"Our army has been in a rather difficult situation lately."
The Heavenly Azure Allied Forces's weaknesses were so obvious that the enemy would exploit them to the bitter end, causing them to fall into a disadvantageous position on the battlefield. He, with his strong-willed nature, could not accept this outcome.
"How about we send our elite troops to engage them in small-scale battles?"
"Heh~"
"You're dreaming if you only send your elite troops."
"You think the Extraterrestrial Evil race are one of us, and we can discuss things like this?"
Yan Lie retorted, and the latter remained silent, clearly realizing that his statement was unrealistic.
Elite troops can indeed contend with and even suppress the Extraterrestrial Evil race to a certain extent, but the enemy will not fight a fair battle according to the rules. Once the main force surrounds them, one of their few good cards will be completely wiped out.
The entire room fell silent. After a long while, Yang Jiuxiao put down his chair and said with a smile:
"Since none of you can think of a suitable method in a short time, why don't you listen to what this old man has to say?"
"Please enlighten me, Old Yang."
"Have you all forgotten about the Illusion Array?"
"Illusion Array?"
Huangfu Shenghua frowned.
"But Illusion Array take time to form, right?"
What they lack most is time.
Yang Jiuxiao shook his head.
"I am not planning to use the Illusion Array to temper my character."
"So, what Old Yang means is..."
Everyone's curiosity was piqued; could the Illusion Array have other uses as well?
His smile faded, and Yang Jiuxiao revealed a hint of mockery.
"The illusions of the Extraterrestrial Evil race are silent and unpredictable, making them difficult to defend against. Their power is indeed extraordinary, but ultimately it is only due to their spiritual cultivation, which far surpasses that of our Tian Lan side."
"The enemy possesses illusion magic, so why can't we use Illusion Array?"
"There are quite a few masters here who are highly skilled in Illusion Array. Illusion Array cannot be broken simply by having high mental strength."
"Isn't that right?"
"Mister Yan Yun, is there a problem with what I said?"
Following Yang Jiuxiao's gaze, everyone suspiciously turned their eyes to him, finally fixing their gaze on the old man dressed in coarse linen clothes at the back of the main hall. They were all taken aback, and a question arose in their minds at the same time.
When exactly did this person arrive?
The old man's subsequent attitude also shocked everyone.
"Illusion magic is a trivial matter; it cannot be compared to magic arrays."
(End of this chapter)
.