Chapter 439: Unworthy
“There was a gap — the vines here had a gap!”
“Rush in!”
“This was the last chance at life. If we didn’t charge together, we might as well stay here and wait to die!!”
The cultivators of the Barbarian-Demon Camp saw a flaw appear in the cage of vines, seized it, and sprinted with all their strength.
Whatever magical implements or talismans they had, they fired them all. If they didn’t fight desperately now, what use were they? Leave these things behind as trophies for the enemy to collect while they cleaned the battlefield?
Bi Tengyi deliberately loosened the trap, and the cultivators of the Barbarian-Demon Camp burst out of the vine hell and were reborn; they were deliriously joyful.
“Where are you running?”
“Ha ha ha, die, all of you!”
Several Golden Core cultivators from Thousand Peaks Forest gave chase at that moment. Some were human, some barbarian, some demon cultivators.
Leading them were two Golden Core barbarians who accompanied the Great Poison-Belly High Priest.
One was called Diao Ye, the other was called Wu Lan.
Diao Ye’s skin was dark crimson and his face resembled a demon; he frequently detonated targeted cultivators. In an instant, corrosive poison splattered everywhere, corroding nearby people and eliciting a string of pained cries.
Wu Lan wielded a poisonous-barbed spear and blew streams of colorful toxic smoke, continuously poisoning the soldiers of the Barbarian-Demon Camp.
“Run, run faster! Ha ha ha.” He let out mocking, cruel laughter.
Hundreds of cultivators from the Barbarian-Demon Camp fled in panic, their fighting spirit gone. They were chased by several Golden Core cultivators all the way toward the White Jade Camp.
White Jade Camp.
The atmosphere inside the tent had become heavy and tense.
Messengers returned from time to time to report the surrounding enemy situation.
Shuangjing, who had been born into a noble high family, had very little battlefield experience.
He was a Qi-refiner rather than a body cultivator, and he knew even fewer military stratagems. The only reason he could act as the commander of a camp this time was the family’s influence.
He himself also wanted to polish his résumé and raise his rank so that he could use state power to benefit his own cultivation.
When the Barbarian-Demon Camp was attacked, Shuangjing was the first on this side to receive Xu Dali’s plea for assistance.
The deputy general reported at that time: “Lord Shuang, this is the rear of the main army. If the enemy ambushed here, the force must be small — very likely a squad of Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators.”
“The Barbarian-Demon Camp was attacked and we did not see a large number of cultivators, only packs of wolves, which further supports this guess.”
“We could immediately marshal and go to assist. Even if we could not slay an individual strong enemy, we would gain merit for rescuing an ally.”
Shuangjing asked, “If the enemy were too strong, wouldn’t we be going to our deaths?”
The deputy general replied, “Lord, this is the rear of our main force. The enemy cannot be an army; their numbers are sparse and without state support, even Nascent Soul true lords would be scattered irregulars who cannot hold long.”
He lowered his voice and quickened his speech: “Using a batch of Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core cultivators to draw out a Nascent Soul cultivator so that they suffer the suppression of national might and suffer a loss of battle strength — that is a great gain! It would surely benefit our country’s grand campaign against Thousand Peaks Forest.”
Shuangjing understood: “So there was still great risk. If the enemy’s Nascent Soul true lord disregarded state power and struck back forcefully, our army could be overturned.”
The deputy general paused: “My lord, if it was truly like that, staying here would have little meaning either; we would still be attacked by the Nascent Soul true lord. Besides, you are a Nascent Soul cultivator — if things went bad and you wanted to retreat, it would be hard for anyone to stop you, right?”
Shuangjing nodded once, then shook his head.
The deputy general had spoken correctly: Shuangjing had prepared adequately before choosing to participate in battle and to lead a force.
He had prepared at least five escape methods.
“But I needed the army intact. I and my family had invested too much in forming and maintaining this army.”
“If it was casually broken, how could we build great achievements later, seize spoils, and obtain autonomy?”
If the army were scattered or absorbed, it would be taken in by other forces.
What Shuangjing and his family sought was far beyond minor merits; they wanted greater and more plentiful gains!
Thus, Shuangjing ordered the army to remain and make ready on the spot, to form battle formations.
Thousand Peaks Forest had also assigned three Golden Core cultivators to pin them down.
No matter how those three Golden Core cultivators attacked from afar, the White Jade Camp countered each assault.
The three Golden Core cultivators did not dare to show themselves and could only helplessly watch the White Jade Camp form its battle formation — the Jade-Bi Sky-Moat Formation!
The soldiers of the Barbarian-Demon Camp were chased and howled like ghosts and wolves as they ran into the sight of the White Jade Camp.
Behind them, several Golden Core cultivators either rode on clouds or mounted steeds, swaggering and brazen.
“Friendlies — it’s the White Jade Camp!”
“We’re saved, we’re saved.”
“Quick, save us!”
The cultivators of the Barbarian-Demon Camp rejoiced and cried for help.
Seeing this, the Golden Core cultivators of Thousand Peaks Forest again slowed their methods, intimidated more, and deliberately reduced casualties.
The deputy general grew anxious: “This is bad, my lord. This is the enemy’s poisonous scheme.”
“If we go to rescue and let these people in, they will surely disturb the formation and create countless flaws for the enemy to exploit.”
“If we do not rescue and allow our allies to be brutally killed, morale will fall and even the army’s heart will waver! That will still affect our combat strength!!”
“Rescue and fail, or do not rescue — neither was acceptable.”
Shuangjing snorted coldly without expression.
He took out his general’s seal, infused it with magical power, and activated the military stratagem embedded within the seal — to unite the army’s hearts!
Also to unite the army’s hearts: because the White Jade Camp had already formed a formation and the entire army was on guard, the spell succeeded easily. Everyone’s attention focused on the general’s seal in Shuangjing’s hand.
Shuangjing held the seal in one hand and cast his spell while letting his voice carry across the whole army.
“When I was born, my family bathed me with Heaven Dew and wrapped me in brocaded silk. Since childhood I had no want for food or clothing, and all eyes were on me; I was a person above others!”
“Friends, in the capital we dined from jade plates and wore pearls and gold; we lived in lofty mansions with many concubines.”
“This time we joined the war for the honor of our great families. Our clans were all waiting for our triumphant return. We would reap victories, earn merit from battle, and then walk back into the capital with heads held high to enjoy more honor and better lives!”
“Now the enemy wanted to trap us!”
“They drove our allies to force us to stretch out aid and create flaws in our formation.”
“But what were these things in front of us? A herd of barbarians and demon cultivators — hm, cannon fodder drawn by military pay. They clearly knew this was the enemy’s trick yet still wanted us to rescue them and cooperate with the enemy to disrupt our formation!”
“Would such allies be worthy of our rescue?”
The whole army responded: “Unworthy! Unworthy!”
Shuangjing laughed: “The Barbarian-Demon Camp was nothing but a fodder camp. If one was cannon fodder, one should accept the fate of cannon fodder!”
“Let them expend their lives to drain the enemy’s magical power.”
“As long as we remained unmoved, the enemy, being so few, could do nothing to us.”