Chapter 196: Around in a Circle

Winds Rise Across the Provinces

Winds Rise Across the Provinces

Kill, regroup, advance, kill again, regroup…

The size of our forces steadily grew. In the outer perimeter, all Haotian Alliance cultivators who received the news converged on our position. Some successfully linked up, while others faced ambushes and suffered heavy casualties.

Never before had a Spirit Stream Battlefield defense unfolded in such a manner.

In previous Spirit Stream Battlefield defenses, even when cultivators from the same faction cooperated, they would form small teams of no more than ten. Any larger group would lead to chaos, making it difficult to distribute war trophies, valuable discoveries, or merits after defeating enemies.

However, this time, under pressure from the Myriad Demon Ridge, the entire Haotian Alliance coordinated its efforts.

What should have been a standard Spirit Stream Battlefield defense was forcefully escalated into an all-out war by both sides.

Initially, the Myriad Demon Ridge failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Their active teams were advancing victoriously, seemingly invincible. They believed that, thanks to the bone fragments, they had secured an absolute advantage. Once the provincial lands completed their final merger, they envisioned merely clearing out the remaining enemies to claim the entire land as their domain.

However, as time passed and intelligence circulated, the Myriad Demon Ridge suddenly realized that the Haotian Alliance had assembled a force of several hundred, relentlessly sweeping the outer perimeter. Multiple Myriad Demon Ridge teams had already encountered them, each time sustaining devastating casualties.

The situation was far from what they had envisioned. Instead of controlling the battlefield, the Myriad Demon Ridge found themselves fleeing in disarray.

Myriad Demon Ridge teams of varying sizes also began to converge. However, by then, assembling enough personnel to challenge the Haotian Alliance was clearly no longer feasible.

Days of relentless clearing and combat had eradicated the Myriad Demon Ridge's initial numerical advantage. In the outer perimeter, the Haotian Alliance now held the numerical upper hand.

Ultimately, the situation devolved into a cat-and-mouse chase between the two factions of cultivators around the provincial land's outer perimeter.

On the sixth day after the provincial land took shape, the dust-stained Haotian Alliance cultivators finally halted. By then, their faction comprised over a thousand cultivators.

These cultivators included not only those originally from the outer perimeter but also those who had fled from the inner regions. Their cultivation varied, potentially spanning the Eighth Realm, Ninth Realm, and even stronger individuals who had cultivated Heaven-grade techniques.

Their recent days had been difficult, marked by frantic escapes from powerful Myriad Demon Ridge pursuers. Hearing of their faction's success in the outer ring, they sought refuge, and naturally, they were welcomed wholeheartedly.

While the Heavenly Mechanism’s intervention meant these highly cultivated individuals could only exert power comparable to others in the outer ring, every additional person still added to their collective strength.

Otherwise, given the current survival rate of outer-ring cultivators alone, reaching a thousand would have been impossible.

Their numbers continued to swell as Haotian Alliance cultivators steadily emerged from within the provincial land. In past Spirit Stream Battlefield defenses, these advanced cultivators typically confined their activities to areas commensurate with their strength, rarely venturing into zones populated by lower-level cultivators. This was akin to why Cloud River Realm and True Lake Realm cultivators generally avoided forcing their way into the Spirit Stream Battlefield.

Cultivation is arduous. Dying by the hand of an equally matched foe could be attributed to one's own shortcomings, but to be slain by someone of significantly lower cultivation would be an indignity, making it impossible to rest in peace.

Indeed, the Spirit Stream Battlefield once saw a True Lake Realm powerhouse fall to a Spirit Stream Realm cultivator, causing immense humiliation for their sect and turning them into a complete laughingstock within the cultivation world.

Presently, the Haotian Alliance was in pursuit of a Myriad Demon Ridge contingent of approximately six hundred cultivators—the last remaining Myriad Demon Ridge forces in the outer perimeter.

They had halted because the ghost cultivators, serving as temporary scouts ahead, had relayed some crucial intelligence.

Each of the six major cultivator factions boasted distinct advantages. Ghost cultivators, being the swiftest and adept at infiltration, assassination, and tracking, naturally became responsible for reconnaissance and enemy pursuit.

Furthermore, with the Haotian Alliance force now numbering a thousand, and recognizing the conflict had escalated into a full-scale war, a provisional decision-making council was established days prior. This council comprised nine individuals, each representing one of the Nine Provinces of Kyushu.

The nine members’ strength wasn't necessarily superior; their selection hinged on their sect's prestige and their personal connections. Eight hailed from seventh-grade sects, while only Lu Ye, representing Bing Province, was from a ninth-grade sect and possessed the lowest cultivation.

Nevertheless, no one raised objections. The Haotian Alliance’s current position had been built incrementally, with the two cultivators from the Jadeblood Sect at its core. Without Lu Ye and Hua Ci’s ingenious methods, the Haotian Alliance would likely have long since lost the means to contend with the Myriad Demon Ridge.

At this moment, the nine convened at a vantage point, gazing into the distance.

A youthful cultivator stated, "According to the intelligence from the ghost cultivators, a significant number of Myriad Demon Ridge forces from the inner regions have also linked up with them. Their current strength is estimated at around eight hundred, and they are recuperating. It appears they intend to fight us to the death."

The Myriad Demon Ridge had been seething with frustration. Their once-favorable situation had inexplicably deteriorated, and they were being hounded like dogs by the Haotian Alliance, leaving them feeling profoundly humiliated.

Recognizing that the remaining Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators in the outer perimeter could no longer resist the Haotian Alliance, the inner-ring cultivators grew restless. They dispatched a contingent to merge with their lower-level forces, preparing to challenge the Haotian Alliance. After this merger, their combined strength reached approximately eight hundred.

Consequently, the numerical disparity between the two factions was no longer significant. Even if the Haotian Alliance held a slight advantage, a direct confrontation would not yield them a substantial gain.

Moreover, the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators wouldn't simply wait idly. They would deploy various strategies, such as having formation masters establish defensive arrays. Given sufficient time, they could erect numerous formations, preparing to face the enemy at their leisure and mitigate their numerical disadvantage. Any Haotian Alliance assault would inevitably result in heavy casualties.

Under normal circumstances, neither side would dare to make a rash move in such a stalemate.

However, the ghost cultivators had uncovered another intriguing detail: the precise location currently occupied by the Myriad Demon Ridge.

After the youth finished speaking, he turned to Lu Ye: "Junior Brother Yi Ye, does that location seem familiar to you?"

Lu Ye was currently straining his vision to observe the area, comparing it with the surrounding terrain and even glancing at the sun overhead. He nodded and affirmed, "That's our former Chess Island!"

He and Hua Ci had appeared there the moment they entered the Chess Sea and had remained for nearly twenty days, becoming more familiar with the location than anyone else. Many times, he and Hua Ci had stood on its vantage points to observe the surroundings.

"So, we've circled back to where we started?" A short, stout man mused, scratching his head.

The youth smiled faintly, "Indeed, we've returned."

"I see!" Another woman's eyes gleamed. "It's Junior Brother Yi Ye's Spirit Gathering Array! Those Myriad Demon Ridge scoundrels have been fleeing for days, completely exhausted. Finding such a prime location, they undoubtedly wouldn't want to leave. They'd recover quickly there. No wonder they dared to stop."

Lu Ye's expression was peculiar. After Chess Island completed its final merger, everyone had decided to launch an offensive. The various arrangements he and Hua Ci had made were left behind. He never anticipated they would now serve as a lure for the enemy to settle.

This was truly a case of them choosing the path to hell when the gates of heaven were open!

If the Myriad Demon Ridge forces had continued to flee, the Haotian Alliance would have struggled to counter them effectively. Yet, of all places, they chose to halt right there.

"Junior Brother Yi Ye, you've performed a great service this time!" the female cultivator exclaimed excitedly.

"Everyone," the youth declared with a solemn expression, "the time has come to assert the might of our Haotian Alliance. Without further delay, I believe we should launch an immediate attack on their position. What are your thoughts?"

There was little to consider. The others promptly voiced their agreement, emphasizing that the sooner, the better, as any delay would allow the enemy to deploy more countermeasures.

This battle could mark the final large-scale clash between the two factions, with participants approaching the two-thousand mark. Should all go well, after this engagement, the Myriad Demon Ridge in the outer ring would no longer possess the means to contend with the Haotian Alliance.

To maximize enemy casualties, careful planning was still required.

While the nine were gathered, deep in discussion, Lu Ye suddenly checked his battlefield mark; a message had arrived.

A moment later, his brow furrowed. "Everyone," he said, "that location might be a trap."

"How so?" the others inquired, turning their gaze to him.

"My fourth senior brother just messaged me," Lu Ye explained. "He discovered a force of roughly three hundred Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators ambushed in a jungle, seemingly awaiting something. Judging by their position, they're only twenty li from us! And those individuals appear to have gathered from the inner ring."

Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances, instantly grasping the Myriad Demon Ridge's intentions.

The message came from Li Baxian, so it was undoubtedly reliable.

During a large-scale battle, if three hundred Myriad Demon Ridge reinforcements arrived, they could easily catch the Haotian Alliance off guard.

"Have they discovered the arrangements we left there?" That was the first possibility that occurred to the group.

Lu Ye paused, then shook his head. "Not quite. The mushrooms Hua Ci planted are actual mushrooms. Even if the Myriad Demon Ridge discovered them, they wouldn't pay them much mind, and there's been no indication that Hua Ci's methods were exposed. Furthermore, even if they did notice the mushrooms' peculiarity, Senior Brother Lu’s mechanical constructs could provide timely countermeasures. It seems the Myriad Demon Ridge is simply trying to outmaneuver us."

"In that case," someone proposed, "let's turn their own scheme against them!"

A plan was quickly formulated. Concurrently, Lu Ye contacted Li Baxian, instructing him to monitor the movements of the three-hundred-strong contingent and report back continuously.

Li Baxian readily agreed. He, too, had come to seek out Lu Ye. Upon entering the Chess Sea, he had stated his intention to find Lu Ye once the provincial land formed, though at that time, he envisioned himself protecting Lu Ye. The situation, however, had developed unexpectedly. Now, arriving, he found himself needing Lu Ye’s protection, which left him, as a senior brother, feeling rather undignified.