Big Dipper Seven Stars as an eye consumes too much of Divine Sense True Qi, so Zhou Wuji can usually only get a general idea of it.
He glanced over and saw countless life energies, numbering at least one or two hundred.
Some of them possessed extremely strong life force, likely reaching the Fifth Rank or even Fourth Rank rank.
Zhou Wuji immediately knew something was wrong; such a large and dense array of life energy must be preparing a surprise attack on the camp.
To get a clearer view, Zhou Wuji used his True Qi and Divine Sense to take another look. Even though it was just a general view, he saw a large group of people riding black deer.
The leader was a human, dressed in crimson scale armor, riding a tall black deer.
This black deer possesses a powerful, fiery Qi and Blood, and its forked antlers are sharp as spears, making it look very majestic.
The black deer's concentrated Qi and Blood power far surpassed that of the creature riding it.
It's normal for beast-like monsters to have much stronger Qi and Blood and energy than humans.
Zhou Wuji estimated that this deer should be at least Fourth Rank, but since it was being ridden by someone weaker, its intelligence was probably not very high.
Such observation was too taxing on his Divine Sense True Qi, so Zhou Wuji withdrew from the state of using the Big Dipper as Eyes.
After emerging from the tent, Zhou Wuji first woke up Yang Tie Ying, who was fast asleep in the next tent, and instructed him to inform Xie Wujin and Xie Wuying to immediately wake all the cultivators and prepare for battle.
Yang Tie Ying, who was still a little groggy from sleep, was instantly jolted awake when he heard that the enemy was about to launch a sneak attack.
"Attention, everyone must keep quiet and not make a sound," Zhou Wuji instructed.
If it were anyone else, he would have asked what was going on, but he unconditionally trusted and obeyed his master. He immediately picked up the Seven Star Sword and quickly left the tent.
Zhou Wuji then went to find Xie Yunjing and Wang Xing, both of whom lived in the central area and were not far from him.
Xie Yunjing was not asleep; it was his turn to be on duty tonight, and he was leaning against the desk reading a book.
With over a hundred wounded soldiers in the camp, and the camp located in a swampy area with no natural defenses, Xie Yunjing and Wang Xing dared not be careless. The two took turns keeping watch at night, fearing that something might go wrong.
Xie Yunjing saw a figure flash by, and Zhou Wuji was right in front of him. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife.
Only after recognizing Zhou Wuji did Xie Yunjing's wary expression disappear. He smiled wryly and said, "Master Zhou, you startled me."
"There are enemies outside; they will attack the camp soon."
Zhou Wuji didn't have time for pleasantries with Xie Yunjing and went straight to explaining the situation.
"Huh?" Xie Yunjing was somewhat surprised and puzzled. In the dead of night, the surroundings were quiet, and the sentries ahead hadn't issued any warnings. How did Zhou Wuji know someone was planning an attack?
He hesitated for a moment before asking, "What kind of monster is it?"
"They're not monsters, they're a group of armored men with swords. They're probably rebels."
Zhou Wuji said, "They all ride tall black deer. These Demon Beast have strong Qi and Blood and are good at running."
"A herd of black deer is charging in; I'm afraid the defenses outside won't be enough to stop them."
"Go immediately and tell your men to prepare, but do it quietly. Have the archers lie in ambush and give them a good beating."
Zhou Wuji reached out and roughly drew the shape of the camp on the table, then drew a circle to mark the enemy's location.
He pointed to the west side of the camp. "In my opinion, they will definitely charge in from here."
"The distance is only about a mile and a half. With the Black Deer's speed, it can reach the camp within fifty breaths..."
The table was made of solid wood. Zhou Wuji casually made a stroke, leaving a clear and deep mark on the table, but without any wood chips.
Xie Yunjing is Fifth Rank martial artist who has already condensed his lower and middle Qi Sea, possessing abundant True Qi.
He knew Zhou Wuji was Sixth Rank cultivator, but he never paid any attention to it.
The strength of cultivators lies in their Thousand Changes Law Technique, while the strength of martial artists lies in their powerful and fierce Qi and Blood. In a head-on battle, the martial artist is definitely stronger, not to mention that his martial arts cultivation far surpasses Zhou Wuji's.
Seeing Zhou Wuji's skill, Xie Yunjing was somewhat surprised.
Scratching a table isn't difficult; what's difficult is drawing it effortlessly without using any force. That skill is truly extraordinary.
He had initially been somewhat skeptical, but now he was about 70-80% convinced.
Time is of the essence, so making preparations is only right. At worst, nothing will happen, which is not a big deal.
Xie Yunjing replied in a low voice, "Daoist Master, I'll go prepare immediately."
Zhou Wuji nodded. "They wanted to launch a sneak attack, but they never expected that we were prepared."
"The tide has turned for us; we are destined for victory."
Xie Yunjing nodded vigorously and immediately went out to call for help.
The Fire Phoenix Army consisted of elite troops, Xie Yunjing quickly woke everyone up, and they all put on armor and weapons.
The only sound throughout the entire process was the soft rustling of the leaves; no one spoke.
Zhou Wuji was quite satisfied with this; it was indeed a testament to their excellent training.
A group of cultivators from Cloud Marsh Lower Court made quite a bit of noise, but fortunately, everyone was well-behaved and no one shouted, so the impact was minimal...
Xie Yunjing led his men quietly to the designated location, arranged the archers, shield bearers, and spearmen into an orderly battle formation, and used Secret Method to suppress the surging Qi and Blood of the men.
Most of the soldiers looked bewildered. It was late at night, and the fog obscured the stars and moon. Not only could they not see anything outside the camp, but it was pitch black even ten paces away.
All that could be seen were a few braziers hanging on the railing. A night breeze blew, and the flames on the braziers flickered, appearing even dimmer under the heavy fog.
"Is there really anyone here?" Wang Xing couldn't help but whisper in Xie Yunjing's ear.
He was Sixth Rank martial artist who had condensed his Qi Sea and possessed keen senses. After waiting for a while without hearing any sound, he couldn't help but become suspicious.
"Silence." Xie Yunjing had a higher cultivation level, more seniority than Wang Xing, and was also older. As the chief officer in charge of the garrison, he was quite stern towards Wang Xing.
Wang Xing was a little unhappy, but he didn't dare to say anything.
The military has strict laws and regulations, and a strict hierarchy. Since Xie Yunjing is the commanding officer, he must obey unconditionally.
Xie Yunjing didn't want to strain his relationship with Wang Xing, so he explained in a low voice, "Such an important matter, how could Master Zhou speak carelessly?"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Even if Master Zhou was wrong, we'll only have had a false alarm, which is actually better!"
Wang Xing responded in a muffled voice, knowing that he had done something wrong. Zhou Wuji was indeed an outsider, but now they were all on the same side.
When it comes to life and death, no amount of caution is excessive.
The two remained silent for a while, and Xie Yunjing began to grow impatient. Then, Zhou Wuji's voice came from behind him. "They're here."
Xie Yunjing heard no sound. Just as he was about to turn around and ask, he heard the sound of hooves coming from the ground.
Shortly after, Wang Xing also felt a slight tremor in the ground.
The Dream Marsh were all wetlands, which is why the sound of the speeding vehicle was very muffled and faint.
However, there were simply too many of them, and the sound of their galloping hooves still carried through the ground.
"They're here. Everyone, pay attention," Wang Xing ordered in a low voice.
The soldiers lined up and waited, but there was still no movement. They were getting impatient, but when they heard the sound of galloping hooves, they were all startled. It really was a sneak attack!
Zhou Wuji said to Xie Yunjing, "When they break through the fence, I will cast Law Technique to illuminate the way ahead and guide you to fire your arrows."
Xie Yunjing hesitated for a moment, Zhou Wuji understood what Xie Yunjing meant: he was afraid that the soldiers' concentrated energy would interfere with his Law Technique.
"It's alright, the Fire Bell Incantation is a minor Law Technique."
Xie Yunjing was starting to admire Zhou Wuji. This young Daoist was truly astute; before he could even say anything, the other party had already understood his concerns.
He replied in a deep voice, "Understood."
He addressed his soldiers, "Everyone, get ready and await my command!"
The sound of the black deer galloping grew louder and louder, the booming sounds merging together like a giant wave sweeping in.
The crowd could no longer see what was happening ahead, and upon hearing the sound, their faces turned grim.
The enemy was numerous and moving at an extremely fast speed. If they hadn't been prepared in advance, they would have just woken up from their dreams.
Before they could even don their armor and grab their crossbows, the enemy would have already stormed into the camp. At that point, they would have been easily routed, and everyone would have died...
Wang Xing and Xie Yunjing were both relieved, relieved that Zhou Wuji Zhou Wuji discovered the enemy and that he had made an accurate judgment in advance.
With a deafening roar, large sections of barricades and deer antlers were smashed open, and the temporary wooden fence was also directly shattered by the black deer's massive antlers.
During this process, several black deer failed to clear the obstacle, slipped and tumbled, and the riders on the deer were thrown off to who knows where.
Xie Yunfeng, riding the Black Deer King, didn't care at all. Cavalry charges against defensive fortifications were inherently dangerous, and these were losses they had to bear.
Xie Yunfeng knew that everyone in the camp was a fellow member of the Fire Phoenix Army, but since he was now Lord of Yunmeng's subordinate, he had to serve Lord of Yunmeng.
The army has penetrated deep into the Cangwu Tree Palace. Following Bai Ya's orders, they are to annihilate the garrison left outside.
The opposing team only had two teams of 100 men each; the rest were wounded and some cultivators.
The bloodthirsty aura of the two armies was earth-shattering, rendering cultivators practically useless on the battlefield, almost negligible.
Once they stormed the camp, the Black Deer's ferocity would allow them to easily rout the defending force.
Xie Yunfeng was very confident about this, as he had previously been in charge of commanding the Fire Phoenix Army cavalry and was himself Fifth Rank martial artist.
After spending more than a year in the Dream Marsh Secret Realm, he consumed various spiritual items, gradually adapted to the environment, and his cultivation level improved significantly.
Many of his subordinates also made great progress in their cultivation, with one of them even rising from the Subordinate Sixth Rank to the Fifth Rank.
Xie Yunfeng knew the two men guarding the camp. Xie Yunjing was skilled in martial arts, but not as good as him. Wang Xing was even worse.
The enemy's only weapon is their bows and crossbows. Once they storm the camp, we can let them slaughter us at will.
The cavalry riding deer ahead had broken through the fence and were about to rush into the camp.
Just then, a beam of fire shot out from the camp, splitting into streaks of light in the air and illuminating the area in front of the fence.
Numerous cavalrymen charged out of the darkness, their eyes stinging from the firelight, and many instinctively squinted.
Xie Yunfeng immediately sensed something was wrong. The firelight was clearly Law Technique. Who was so powerful that they could unleash Law Technique even when facing a group of cavalrymen whose aura was boiling like fire?
"Release!" A deep, powerful command came from deep within the camp.
Xie Yunfeng was even more uneasy. He knew that was the order to fire the crossbow bolts. But he had already led his team this far, and there was no way he could turn back.
That would not only render all previous efforts futile, but would also expose your back to the enemy for shooting.
Thud thud thud, crossbow bolts rained down like a storm, and the dozen or so knights in front were immediately struck by several arrows, while their black deer was also covered in arrows.
The knights behind were all shocked. They were all from the Fire Phoenix Army and naturally knew the power of crossbows.
Their large-scale night raid was aimed at quickly storming the camp and avoiding a direct confrontation with the crossbow bolts.
Now that the enemy is actually prepared, many knights are considering retreating.
Xie Yunfeng shouted sharply, "Those who retreat will die! Charge!"
His mount, the Black Deer King, also let out a deep bleating, and spurred on by it, the many black deer accelerated their charge. Those knights who wanted to retreat gripped their longswords tightly...
Xie Yunjing and Wang Xing in the camp both looked rather grim; they both recognized Xie Yunfeng's voice.
The reason the two commanders stayed behind was actually to guard against the traitor Xie Yunfeng, after all, this guy was a Fifth Rank expert.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yunfeng actually came to launch a sneak attack, and even more unexpectedly, the other party had managed to obtain a black deer as a mount.
Black deer are already tall and fast, far surpassing even the fastest horses, and possess a terrifying impact force.
Xie Yunfeng's many traitors rode black deer, which greatly increased their fighting strength. The cavalry was incredibly fast, decisive, and brave.
The crossbow bolt needs time to be cocked; the situation is dire!