The sky was covered with dark clouds, as black as ink, and the woods were unusually gloomy.
Although Cui Yuancheng was Fourth Rank cultivator, he still couldn't see his feet clearly and could only try his best to follow the barbarians in front of him.
The barbarians were all tall and burly; for every one step a barbarian took, he had to take two.
What's even more troublesome is that each of the barbarians possesses strong Qi and Blood, and with the added blessing of witchcraft, thousands of barbarians act as one, their combined Qi and Blood and energy power being exceptionally strong.
For cultivators, the powerful Qi and Blood gathered by the barbarians was like a giant furnace.
If it weren't for the talisman given to him by the priest Tie Ying, he would have been roasted to death by the combined power of the Qi and Blood and qi of over a thousand barbarians.
Even with the protective amulet of witchcraft, his cultivation was suppressed by the immense power of his Qi and Blood and qi. Fortunately, he had the foundation of Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, which allowed him to barely keep up with the barbarian army.
As he moved through the dark forest, surrounded by towering barbarian figures all around him, their pungent stench of sweat making Yuan Cheng dizzy and disoriented.
Suddenly, the view opened up before him, and Cui Yuancheng realized that they had already left the woods.
Even under the gloomy sky, he could still vaguely see the Golden Sands Fort on the hillside ahead.
The expanded Golden Sands Fort is much larger than before, with torches hanging from the gate and wooden walls.
The torches swayed violently in the strong wind, and only faint shadows could be seen moving on the walls of Golden Sands Fort.
"The priest is looking for you. Come here." A tall barbarian walked over, trying to keep his voice down, but it sounded almost like a normal person shouting.
Cui Yuancheng frowned slightly, not only because the barbarian was loud, but also because the guy had a foul mouth.
Barbarians almost never wash their faces, let alone brush their teeth. Even the most skilled barbarian warriors are always smelly.
Especially since they eat all kinds of meat, the stench from their breath is particularly strong.
Cui Yuancheng possessed a strong Divine Sense and keen six senses, which is why, despite spending so much time with the barbarians, he always found it difficult to adapt.
"What a beast..."
He forced himself to keep up with the barbarians despite feeling unwell, but couldn't help cursing them inwardly.
As Fourth Rank Devil Cultivator, he had killed countless mortals and did not regard them as human beings. Barbarians were even dirtier and more savage, and even domesticated animals were cleaner and more obedient than them.
If it weren't for the high priest's order, he really wouldn't want to be with the barbarians.
These fools are simple-minded and can't understand human language. They all believe in Ancestral Witch, but there's no way they can change their faith.
The only useful thing about barbarians is their love of indiscriminate killing. He can follow behind them and obtain all kinds of souls and Essence Blood without lifting a finger.
Cui Yuancheng followed the barbarian to the priest Tie Ying. Facing this Fourth Rank shaman, Cui Yuancheng still bowed and clasped his hands respectfully.
The priest was tall with rough skin, wearing a wide black leather robe, barefoot, and holding a black wooden staff.
Tie Ying's clothing and appearance were vastly different from those of ordinary barbarians.
In the darkness, Cui Yuancheng couldn't actually see Tie Ying's face clearly, but he could easily recognize the priest.
Although Tie Ying was also Fourth Rank, he was the supreme leader of this thousand-strong barbarian army, holding an extremely prestigious position. No matter how much Cui Yuancheng despised the barbarians, he had to be respectful in front of him.
Although witchcraft is crude, it can be used in large armies and help barbarians fight, which makes it far superior to Daoist cultivators.
Of course, if everyone believes in Daoist deities and has a firm faith, Daoist Law Technique can also be used to bless the soldiers.
Just like their Yin Yang Dao, they can bestow Law Technique upon their followers.
The reason why witchcraft could empower the barbarian army was because the barbarians were the most steadfast believers of the Ancestral Witch.
Priest Tie Ying pointed ahead and asked, "Is that Golden Sands Fort up ahead?"
"Right."
Cui Yuancheng nodded in affirmation, "After its expansion, Golden Sands Fort has become a grain and fodder transshipment point, and the Fire Phoenix Army stationed here is also a very powerful and elite force."
address:\\\\\\.\\\
" Wang Zhenyuan placed the Fire Phoenix Army here as a reserve force, intending to use it later."
The Fire Phoenix Army had been in Golden Sands Fort for more than half a month. Cui Yuancheng had already received a message from his sect and was very clear about the specific situation in Golden Sands Fort.
The purpose of leading the barbarians to the rear of the main army was to eliminate this Fire Phoenix Army.
Then, we'll take supplies from Golden Sands Fort and rest there. Tomorrow, we'll coordinate with the barbarian army to launch a pincer attack on Wang Zhenyuan's central army and wipe out this general in one fell swoop...
The entire battle plan was very simple, and that's precisely why the barbarians were able to cooperate.
The barbarians were also quite bold, selecting a thousand elite warriors to be led by the priest Tie Ying. Tie Ying's wooden staff was also a powerful artifact.
Cui Yuancheng was only responsible for giving directions; he didn't need to worry about anything else.
Once Tie Ying confirmed that Golden Sands Fort was ahead, he didn't rush to attack but instead ordered everyone to rest on the spot.
Tie Ying asked Cui Yuancheng, "Do you have anything to say about this?"
"I don't understand warfare; I'll leave it entirely to the priest." Cui Yuancheng didn't want to offer any advice; there would be no benefit in winning, but he would be blamed if he lost.
But he still had to remind him, "Priest, their battle formations are entirely controlled by the commander-in-chief. If the commander-in-chief dies, the battle formations will break without a central command."
The Yin Yang Dao has been at odds with the imperial court for many years and has even been besieged and suppressed by large armies multiple times.
Therefore, high-level cultivators of the Yin Yang Dao all have some understanding of battle formations.
Military battle formations are essentially a type of magic formation, but they are formed by people. However, military battle formations are secret military secrets, and they are quite different from the methods of Daoism.
Ultimately, a battle formation is about connecting all soldiers into one, creating a vast enough Law Domain to suppress the enemy.
The key lies with the commander; eliminating the commander will break the battle formation.
Tie Ying nodded and said to the two barbarians beside him, Tie Chui and Tie Shan, "You two will lead the charge and take the wooden stronghold as quickly as possible. Don't worry about any leaders; just kill everyone inside..."
After resting for a while, Tie Chui and Tie Shan led a group of skilled barbarians ahead, quickly advancing towards Golden Sands Fort.
When they were twenty paces away from Golden Sands Fort, a loud horn suddenly sounded from Golden Sands Fort, followed by shouts and cheers from hundreds of people.
Tie Chui and Tie Shan, who were in the lead, both changed their expressions. Had the other side been prepared all along?
The soldiers who had been prepared on the wooden stockade all drew their bows and released their arrows, which rained down from above like a storm.
The barbarians ahead raised their rattan shields. Ordinary arrows were blocked by the rattan shields, but the powerful crossbows embedded in them could easily pierce through the shields, piercing through the barbarians holding the shields as well.
Twenty paces was too close, and the barbarians were firing from a higher vantage point; dozens of them were immediately killed.
However, some skilled barbarian warriors wielded long swords, snagging away the dense rain of arrows.
The team leaders, Tie Chui and Tie Shan, shouted simultaneously, "Charge! Charge!"
The two tall barbarians' bodies shimmered with magical runes, and their Qi and Blood suddenly surged several times stronger.
They brandished their longswords and charged forward into the dense rain of arrows. The two were initially moving at great speed, but their pace slowed down as they approached Golden Sands Fort.
The immense battle formation of the Fire Phoenix Army exerted tremendous pressure on all external enemies.
Even the Fourth Rank barbarians found it difficult to withstand the pressure of the invisible battle formation, their strength and speed dropping to a minimum. Other barbarians were also greatly affected.
Another volley of arrows rained down, and several barbarian experts tried to parry with their swords, but they were a fraction too slow, and the dense barrage of arrows turned them into pincushions...
Cui Yuancheng, who was watching from behind, was dumbfounded. How did the Fire Phoenix Army have made preparations in advance?
In his eyes, the battle formation of the Fire Phoenix Army condensed into a crimson fire phoenix, rising and falling above Golden Sands Fort.
"Damn it, is this a trap?" Cui Yuancheng realized something was wrong; his first reaction was that he had fallen for it.
He hurriedly said to Tie Ying, "Respected Priest, something's wrong. We must evacuate immediately."
"Shut up."
Tie Ying raised his Four Aspects Wooden Staff and slammed it into Cui Yuancheng's face.
Cui Yuancheng was completely suppressed by the Qi and Blood and energy, and couldn't even dodge.
He felt his face go numb and swollen, his vision blurred, and his legs went weak, causing him to collapse to the ground. He tried to say something, but his swollen and numb mouth couldn't utter a single word; instead, he spat out a lot of broken teeth...
After teaching Cui Yuancheng a lesson, Tie Ying raised his Four Aspects Wooden Staff and activated the Horse Incantation.
The Four Aspects Wooden Staff is an ancestral heirloom, inscribed with four of the Twelve Aspects Incantations: Rat, Ox, Dragon, and Horse.
Horse Incantation can enhance speed and stamina, Horse Incantation most importantly, they can connect the spirit and Qi and Blood of all barbarians.
Standing atop the fortress watching the battle, Zhou Wuji saw the spiritual light emanating from the Four Aspects Wooden Staff fall upon all the barbarians, like invisible threads connecting them into one, vaguely forming a galloping giant horse.
In the void, the invisible fire phoenix power condensed by the Fire Phoenix Army's battle formation was immediately blocked by the giant horses unleashed by the barbarians.
Zhou Wuji's expression was solemn. He hadn't expected that witchcraft could simultaneously bless thousands of barbarians; that was truly astounding.
It's also possible that the barbarians possessed magical runes that were activated through witchcraft.
Regardless, the barbarians, through the blessing of witchcraft, can temporarily contend with the Fire Phoenix Army's battle formation.
Sure enough, the sluggish barbarian experts returned to normal, and some even became faster.
Zhou Wuji said to Xie Lingyun, "The enemy's witchcraft is powerful; we can't hold the gate anymore."
Xie Lingyun was prepared for this and immediately led his men to retreat to the central square of the wooden village.
The wooden fortress was too flimsy to stop the barbarians. They could only retreat to the square, gather their troops, and engage the enemy in direct combat.
Only by blocking the barbarian charge head-on can the archers on both sides have a safe position to fire their arrows.
With a loud crash, the wooden gate of the stockade was smashed open by several barbarians wielding knives, and the barbarians surged in through the gate like a tidal wave.
Another volley of arrows greeted the barbarians, and many were immediately shot down, but the number of barbarians continued to rise.
The two sides quickly engaged in close combat, and the battle suddenly intensified.
Seeing the ferocity of the leading barbarians, Xie Lingyun raised his Flying Dragon Spear and said, "I'll go up and hold them off."
Zhou Wuji didn't stop them; the barbarian experts were too strong, and although the Fire Phoenix Army was elite, they were far inferior.
The battle formation is unable to suppress the barbarian experts. If they cannot stop a group of barbarian experts, the battle formation will soon be broken through, and then they will truly be doomed.
He drew his sword and followed behind Xie Lingyun, saying, "I'll go with you."
"The situation isn't good. You should take the princess and leave first," Xie Lingyun said in a low voice.
There are too many skilled barbarians; he really has no confidence in stopping them.
Zhou Wuji patted the Sky Silk Sword at his waist and said, "With this precious sword in hand, watch me slaughter them until rivers of blood flow..."
The barbarian expert's ferocity only fueled Zhou Wuji's fighting spirit. He thought, "He's only Fourth Rank; how could he possibly be stronger than me? I don't believe it!"
Out of caution, Zhou Wuji still opened the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment in his sea of consciousness, transforming the six-ounce and five-qian destiny into the Origin Profound Spirit, and adding it to the Heavenly Puppet Technique.
The Heavenly Puppet is a very powerful magical Law Treasure; improving the Heavenly Puppet Technique will allow him to gain a deeper understanding of Heavenly Puppet.
The celestial Heavenly Robe transformed from Heavenly Puppet provide stronger defense and allow for more transformations...
On the brutal battlefield, life and death may hang by a thread.
In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Puppet Technique reached the Great Perfection stage from the Lesser Perfection stage.
Zhou Wuji was slightly disappointed; this was a 6.5 tael destiny, yet it only advanced by one realm.
Even Fourth Rank Law Technique can be easily mastered to perfection.
This also demonstrates the extraordinary skill of the Heavenly Puppet Technique!
Zhou Wuji enhanced the Heavenly Puppet Technique and added the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Divine Incantation to himself, but he did not add it to Xie Lingyun.
This divine incantation shone brightly, particularly conspicuous in the darkness. Enchanting it would attract the attention of all enemies, which would do Xie Lingyun more harm than good.
Standing at the window of the second-floor wooden building, Wang Mingzhen saw someone draped in magnificent azure light amidst the chaos of battle, who had instantly arrived at the forefront of the battle.
With her sharp eyes, she immediately recognized that the person shrouded in divine light was Zhou Wuji!
Wang Mingzhen's expression was somewhat complicated. She muttered to herself, "This guy's asking for it!"
Yin Le frowned slightly. She disliked Wang Mingzhen's statement, but the fact that the man had been blessed with the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Divine Incantation was indeed too conspicuous...
Although she did not participate in the fighting, she knew that during a major battle, Zhou Wuji, shrouded in divine light, would naturally attract all the enemy's attention, which was indeed somewhat inappropriate...