Chapter 555: Chapter 143: The Return of the Brave Warrior
The Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon now coiled again around Ning Zhuo’s waist.
Most of the spoils of war had been sold off, exchanged for a stockpile of Spirit Stones that filled several cabins.
Ning Zhuo, at present, no longer needed to worry about the expenses for the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon to traverse the void—
He was very wealthy!
Sun Lingtong, with her tiny frame, sat cross-legged on the ground, putting on the helmet worn by soldiers and officers alike.
The large helmet sat on her tiny head. The back half of the helmet covered a small portion of Sun Lingtong’s back, showing a great disparity between the two.
Sun Lingtong’s physical foundation had become much stronger than before.
Though the helmet was heavy, she could easily support it with her head.
While holding the helmet on her head, she flipped through the Military Art manual, “Gao Sheng’s Legacy”.
This manual was in tatters and, without a firm grasp of Military Family teachings, Sun Lingtong found them hard to understand, despite recognizing the words—putting them together in context was even more challenging.
The further she read, the more profound the content of the Military Art. Misinterpreting a single word could lead to vastly different meanings.
Crucially, there were many gaps in the manual, with numerous words missing, sometimes even large sections of text.
This Military Treasure was a potent tool in battle, but as a textbook, it was truly challenging for the reader.
But now, the situation was different from before—Sun Lingtong had put on the helmet of both soldiers and officers!
As she continued to flip through the pages, and her Divine Sense delved into the manual, her eyes glazed over as she immersed herself in understanding.
In a trance, she became an ordinary soldier, with heavy and slow steps, who accidentally let out a loud fart during a nighttime stealth attack, leading to discovery by the enemy and the failure of the entire assault.
She then became a small unit leader. With a volatile temper, even though she had already infiltrated the enemy’s ranks, she couldn’t restrain herself and charged prematurely, triggering the attack at the wrong moment, allowing the enemy to respond and withstand the ambush.
She also became the Main General. Hesitant and timid in his actions, he clearly grasped the opportunity for a surprise attack and was close to the enemy, but he dared not bet big and didn’t give it his all during the ambush. By the time he tried to go all out, the enemy had already stabilized their formation, and it was all too late.
Sun Lingtong gained various insights.
“To launch a successful surprise attack, as a soldier, one must conceal oneself; as a leader, one must have the capacity for restraint; as a Main General, one must be decisive! At the moment of the surprise attack, one must commit fully and invest everything. Only in this way can the effect of the surprise attack be maximized.”
It took two full Two Hours, before Sun Lingtong slowly opened her eyes.
Her Divine Sense nearly depleted, she set down the helmet and stood up, raising her eyebrows at Ning Zhuo with a proud look that obviously indicated she had gained a lot.
“I have come to realize a Battle Formation called the Thief Light Wind Formation.”
“This Battle Formation allows the soldiers to march quickly, as if they were treading on a light wind, while at the same time, it can conceal their movement.”
“By hiding and disguising, one can launch a fierce surprise attack after getting close to the enemy!”
“Just like a breeze brushing the face, it steals the lives of the enemy. It is especially adept at engaging in battle after the enemy has fallen asleep!”
After Sun Lingtong shared her findings, Ning Zhuo was somewhat puzzled: “That’s it?”
He thought he would see many contents, but in reality, there was just one Battle Formation.
Sun Lingtong stroked her chin, analyzing: “‘Gao Sheng’s Legacy’ is too fragmented, and normal reading makes it difficult to understand.”
“My own knowledge of Military Art is practically nil, which exacerbates this dire situation.”
“As for the powers of the helmet of both soldiers and officers, it allows the wearer to gain the experiences of the soldiers and officers who have worn it before.”
“Combining the two, based on my own nature and preferences, I can receive the correct teachings and thus deduce an outcome most suitable for me.”
“It’s obvious that my outcome was the Thief Light Wind Formation.”
Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Sun Lingtong’s vision was broader than Ning Zhuo’s, especially in terms of practical experience.
Sun Lingtong was also meticulous in thought, deducing the truth with just a single attempt.
“Little Zhuo, you should also give it a try,” Sun Lingtong suggested, “I have already tested it for you, and there should be no risk.”
“Boss, thanks a lot,” Ning Zhuo had long been interested, and before settling into the camp, he emulated Sun Lingtong’s recent posture, sitting cross-legged on the ground and began to comprehend the Military Art.
He became a soldier, guarding a large number of civilians during relocation. As a result, he was treated badly, and not only he himself, but the entire army was wiped out.
He became a small leader, unwilling to abandon the wounded in his team, and as a result, he was caught up and killed by the enemy army during the escape.
He became the main general, unable to bear casualties in battle, unwilling to give up a certain part of the military force, continuously pouring troops into the ready forces. As a result, in the second half of the war, the frontline without reserve reinforcements could not hold, and after one corner collapsed, it quickly fell apart completely. Ning Zhuo, as the main general, also suffered defeat and death.
Therefore, Ning Zhuo realized a piece of military art—the Sacrificial Annihilation of Comrades-in-Arms!
Once this tactic is deployed, it can turn the flesh and souls of comrades into materials, all sacrificed to bestow temporary strength to the remaining warriors.
Thus, the more comrades die, the stronger the combat power boost the survivors receive.
Seeing Ning Zhuo worn out, opening his eyes, Sun Lingtong asked curiously, “Little Zhuo, what have you realized?”
Ning Zhuo: …
He first fell silent, then said, “I have understood a military art.”
Sun Lingtong pressed, “What military art?”
“It must follow your personality, accord with your interests, and be something most suitable for you.”
Ning Zhuo: …
Boss, if you hadn’t said that, we’d still be good friends!
Seeing Ning Zhuo remaining silent for a long time, Sun Lingtong was pressed by his own curiosity, “Hey, Little Zhuo, just tell me.”
Ning Zhuo could only nod, reluctantly saying, “This military art is called… the Heroic Return Skill!”
“What does it mean?” Sun Lingtong didn’t understand.
Ning Zhuo recited softly, “As the saying goes, the wind howls and the Yi waters are chilly; when the stout-hearted depart, they never return.”
“This military art is about making the stout-hearted return.”
“Comrades fight side by side; when valiant soldiers perish on the battlefield, their remaining strength will bolster those who survive.”
“Though the valiant die, their residual power still aids their comrades in continued combat.”
“I really like this military art; it fully reflects my recognition of the cruelty of war, where soldiers are ruthless and battles perilous; I cherish peace all the more!”
“Also, this military art aligns with my philosophy that ‘every sacrifice must have its value, and the higher the value, the more worthwhile the sacrifice.'”
“Moreover, it includes my own determination and courage—preferring death over surrender, and even in death, leaving my remaining strength to continue the fight!”
Sun Lingtong stared blankly at Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo stood tall and proud, smiling righteously at him.
Sun Lingtong was momentarily taken aback, muttering to himself, “I have this weird feeling that something’s not quite right.”
Ning Zhuo hastily said, “Well, why think about these things. Let’s head back.”
“Hm? Not continuing with your contemplation?” Sun Lingtong was puzzled.
Ning Zhuo shook his head, “For one thing, we’ve been out for quite a while, and there might be a sudden change at Mu Lan’s end, so it’s safer to be there.”
“On the other hand, since even using Gao Sheng’s Legacy, our togetherness under the same helmet is rooted in our nature and preferences… Of course, this statement is still debatable.”
Ning Zhuo quickly added, then continued, “Then, only when we truly master the battle formation or military art can we better grasp the second one, right?”
“If we don’t fully understand it, the things we trigger will still contain a lot of the same content.”
Sun Lingtong nodded, “Makes sense, makes sense. You’re worthy of being Little Zhuo.”
Ning Zhuo smiled, “Of course, this is just a guess. But verifying it is very simple, you just need to contemplate it, boss.”
Sun Lingtong nodded, “Of course, I’ll do just that.”
Immediately, Sun Lingtong continued to stay inside the Mechanical Dragon. Meanwhile, Ning Zhuo, wearing the Travelling Dragon, returned to the Three Generals Camp.
When Liu Er heard the news, he immediately came out of the tent to welcome him.
Seeing Ning Zhuo’s smiling face, his smile became even more eager, “Seeing the military advisor as if refreshed by spring, you must have had significant gains on this trip.”
Ning Zhuo then saluted with folded hands, “The family has given me more power, and now I can support the Three Generals Camp even more.”
Liu Er clapped his hands in delight, “Truly great news! Military advisor, please come and sit in my tent for a while.”