Qingmu felt as if he were controlling a vast dream.
Mental Power from all directions continuously poured into his Divine Wooden Staff. If his own Mental Power wasn't already extremely strong, an ordinary person simply couldn't withstand such power.
Controlling these Mental Power, he then entered the Divine Wooden Staff. The Divine Wooden Staff seemed to contain endless channels, and his consciousness followed these channels, being divided into many subconsciousnesses, yet not separated from his main consciousness, extending out like long tentacles.
The passageways through which his consciousness's tentacles passed were quite peculiar, somewhat like the zero-dimensional Dream Corridor he had experienced, but not entirely the same. These passageways led to different independent spaces, dark and deep, shimmering with strange light, like newly discovered universes.
Qingmu could sense the mental fluctuations in those spaces, and thus, he recognized each individual. His tentacles of consciousness had now reached into the brains of the entire tribe of savages. This time, it was much clearer than when he first had the savages line up. He could see their forms, their movements, and their thoughts. He could control each person's behavior through the extension and transmission of his consciousness, as if he had hundreds of extra hands.
This is somewhat like hypnotizing many people simultaneously, making them experience Group Real-Scene Dream. But Qingmu knew how difficult this was originally to achieve. Situ had conducted so many experiments simply to find a more efficient method for Group Real-Scene Dream. Kitano Masatake's creation of a cave in Southern Yunnan was already a remarkable method for Real-Scene Dream. To control hundreds of people to dream at any time, as is the case now, would not only require unimaginable Mental Power, but the difficulty of extending and controlling the consciousness of an individual would also be incredibly high.
Of course, the current situation is slightly different from the Group Real-Scene Dream. The support of the Group Dream Realm depends on the combined mental power of all dreamers, while the Mental Power that Qingmu is currently controlling comes from his own power and the external energy absorbed through the Divine Wooden Staff.
Qingmu is now more like a brain, his limbs detached from him, busy in the woods ahead. The consciousness of those people remains independent; they haven't become his puppets. They can only receive Qingmu's conscious commands. If they want to resist, Qingmu must expend more Mental Power to control their consciousness, and that's when true hypnosis will be needed.
But the savages obviously wouldn't resist; Qingmu's every thought would be answered. These thoughts didn't need to be very clear, like the details of how to do something, but rather just a vague instruction, like an octopus commanding its tentacles. Just say "hunt," and the tentacles will hunt on their own, without you having to tell them how to hunt.
Qingmu sent some of the savages to gather food, and they did. He sent another group to repair the camp, and they did.
After a few tries, he had basically figured out how to skillfully control the group. Now, he needed to prepare for war. He would join forces with Situ to defeat the local savages first. The savages' shaman was clearly more powerful; he didn't know if it was due to his own strength or, as Situ had said, the local tribe's home advantage.
Qingmu guessed that the so-called home-field advantage was that the Mental Power Field of each island and each space here had different characteristics, just like having different attributes. The limits and efficiency of the Mental Power mobilized by different scepters were different.
However, although there is a gap in this aspect, it is not too large. Otherwise, it would be sufficient to suppress them directly with Mental Power, so why would the people of the tribe need to participate in hand-to-hand combat?
Qingmu was testing the control of the Divine Wooden Staff, while Mrs. Larry sat down and spoke to the savage shaman. Her expression was calm, as if she had completely forgotten the humiliation she had suffered earlier, which infuriated Petru, who was standing to the side. Judging from his appearance, he might pull the trigger or release the safety of a grenade at any moment.
A series of howling sounds echoed in the distance, and the savages on this side began to stir. Qingmu sensed tension and excitement in the savages' consciousness. However, the mental fluctuations on the field were not obvious, indicating that the savages on the other side were not yet in the mood for a full-scale attack. At least their shamans did not move, and it was probably just tactical harassment.
Qingmu has already sent Crow to inform Situ. Situ should already know about the situation here. With both sides working together, they shouldn't be defeated by the opposing tribe.
Before I knew it, the setting sun was already hanging on the horizon, but unlike on Earth, it didn't become bright red and large, nor did it have clouds spreading out like an angel's colorful robe. It simply turned into a yellow patch of light, slowly sinking downwards. Another Sun was still hanging high in the sky, shining on all things on earth.
The howls of the savages ceased, and the valley suddenly became eerily quiet. A sense of unease rose within Qingmu; this unusual stillness seemed to conceal extreme danger.
Sure enough, a strong mental fluctuation suddenly arose, like a whirlwind rising from flat ground. Moreover, this Mental Power did not come from the direction of the tribe in front, but rose from the mountains and forests behind and to the side of him, as if several fresh troops were lying in ambush there and suddenly attacked.
Fortunately, he was prepared. With a thought, his Mental Power surged forth along with the scepter in his hand. But strangely, his Mental Power did not turn into a fierce gale like the one opposite him. Instead, it stretched out into thick branches, which in turn grew branches, and leaves blossomed on the branches. The branches intersected and the leaves overlapped, forming a protective wall around the camp.
At that moment, he felt as if he had become a tree. The roots firmly gripped the ground, and no matter how fierce the wind and rain, he remained steadfast.
Before the flanking attack was over, the battle on the main battlefield had already begun in full swing. The savages on the opposite side charged into the valley, Qingmu also led his tribe into the valley, and the two sides clashed. The savages' actions seemed chaotic, but in fact they were well-planned and methodical. This octopus tactic was extremely efficient, with each person moving as if they were an extension of their own limb.
In this respect, Qingmu adapted for a while and was not at a disadvantage, but when a fierce mental storm swept over him head-on, he felt a little strained.
The wizard's Mental Power was far beyond his imagination. He had just stretched out a thick branch when it was torn to pieces by a strong gust of wind. He could only tighten all his branches, the leaves forming a dense shield, but he could still feel the ferocious force of the wind as it crashed into him, like an ancient beast slamming into the shield in front of him, making his chest tighten and making it difficult to even breathe.
Just then, a huge rock fell from the sky, like a small mountain flying in, and crashed into the eye of the storm with a loud bang. The wind howled a few times, then fell silent and disappeared.
Qingmu knew that it was Situ had made his move. Situ's Mental Power was different again; it appeared heavy and solid, like a stone or a mountain, but within this solidity was a murderous aura, as if a sharp sword was hidden in every stone.
Just as Qingmu breathed a sigh of relief, an even stronger gust of wind blew in, lifting the mountain-like boulder into the air. He felt unsteady on his feet, and even the deep roots firmly planted in the soil were almost uprooted along with the book.