"The Right Army has taken over the Heaven Character Number Two area, and the Divine Guard has been repelled! They are mopping up the forces of the Hundred Races!"

"The Left Army has divided into three groups and has begun storming the rear camp of the Heaven Palace!"

"The right flank is under counterattack by the enemy! The enemy is numerous and fierce!"

Wave after wave of voices echoed. Inside the command tent, the sound of messengers relaying reports was unceasing. Outside the command tent, figures shrouded in flowing light hurried to and fro.

Wu Wang stood before the Sand Platform, his face stern and his body almost taut. His eyelids only blinked after long intervals, his gaze searching back and forth over the Sand Platform, observing the situation in various places. Even the most powerful Magic Treasures could not capture the situation at every location in real-time. The scenes projected onto the Sand Platform were "sent back" by hundreds or thousands of Cultivators using special Array Devices, which could contain errors and could only roughly reflect the battlefield's layout. Therefore, methods such as Jade Talismans for communication and Immortal Consciousness reconnaissance, which gathered intelligence, could not cease at this moment.

The people beside the Sand Platform no longer engaged in as much 'idle talk' as before. When they occasionally spoke, they tried to be as concise as possible, conveying their ideas accurately.

What Wu Wang did not expect was...

Before he knew it, he had taken over command of the entire battle.

This was not because His Majesty Shen Nong had given orders, or because Wu Wang held someone's token of authority that compelled others to follow his command. Instead, Wu Wang found that after the battle between the Human Domain and the Heaven Palace broke out, the tactics and strategies used by both sides were somewhat inferior compared to the tactical 'small tricks' he had heard about back home.

This was not arrogance or self-praise.

In terms of Cultivation and discussing Array Devices, these old Immortals of the Human Domain were indeed ahead, having developed a complete system. When it came to tactics and military strategy, however, it was the ancient people from his homeland, those who had not mastered the ways of Immortal Cultivation, who were more cunning. There seemed to be a connection within this—the sheer power of individuals, it seemed, had adversely affected the development of cunning strategies and tactics.

Military strategy is an art of killing, but it can also be an art of reducing death.

Initially, Wu Wang was somewhat worried. When he made suggestions, he would prepare three to four options for everyone to discuss and choose from. As the battle progressed, casualties mounted on both sides and the conflict intensified. Wu Wang no longer had as much time to think of backup plans.

The continuous flow of commands rapidly built up his prestige in the hearts of those present. The successive victories were somewhat unexpected even to Wu Wang himself. But he wisely suppressed his desire to 'perform,' reacting only based on the information he received, making the decisions most favorable to the overall situation. He was not greedy for credit nor reckless. He did not think of using such methods to prove anything about himself.

He had nothing to prove to others.

「One day passed in the great battle.」

The Heaven Palace suffered more defeats than victories, with the Human Domain advancing on all fronts. ThreeOld Daoist Sanxian walked back and forth behind the battle lines, sometimes muddled, sometimes lucid, the shadow following him seemingly searching for something. His Majesty Shen Nong, along with two experts, followed secretly, never managing to locate the figure of Emperor Shun.

「Two days into the great battle.」

The Heaven Palace launched a fierce counterattack, and the Human Domain lost some of the territory it had seized the day before. However, due to the timely response from the Human Domain's high command, their casualties were few. They often actively avoided the brunt of the attack, causing the Heaven Palace's flurry of blows to hit empty air. This put many Innate Gods of the Heaven Palace in an uncomfortable position, neither advancing nor retreating.

At the twenty-seventh hour since the full outbreak of the battle, Wu Wang had issued dozens of strategies. Aside from a few orders with minor errors due to inaccurate timing, the rest achieved their anticipated outcomes. The way these old men of the Human Domain looked at him... began to change gradually.

Take, for example, the battle of assault and defense at dawn on the second day of the great battle. The Heaven Palace had amassed a large number of experts from the Hundred Races, led by several Strong Gods, aiming to recapture a marshland seized by the troops on the right flank of the Human Domain. Wu Wang made a decisive decision. The Central Army diverted nearly half of its experts, dispersed the enemy's large forces with lightning speed, and surrounded those Strong Gods at the marshland. Over a hundred Transcendents took action together, with a dozen Elders ready to burn their own Great Dao lingering nearby. The command given by Wu Wang was to trap those few Strong Gods. The aim was not to push them to a dead end, but to continuously give them the illusion of a possible breakthrough, all while steadily inflicting injuries and cultivating an atmosphere of impending divine doom.

This move seemed quite risky to the onlookers. If the Heaven Palace took the opportunity to strike at the Central Army and its defenses were breached, the entire battle situation would rapidly collapse. But Wu Wang braced against the immense pressure and continued to push his strategy forward, leveraging the little prestige he had just gained.

There were moments, lasting up to an hour, when Wu Wang's palms sweated profusely. For moments, darkness would envelop Wu Wang's vision, and he seemed to hear cries of slaughter from all around, feeling the sorrow of lives continuously being lost.

Finally, a Jade Talisman vibrated, carrying the news that the Heaven Palace's main forces were being redirected to attack the vast marsh.

In the War Department's inner tent, several Elders couldn't help but heave sighs of relief, and Wu Wang's Adam's apple quivered several times, a slight smile appearing on his face.

The composure of the Earth God was indeed as good as its reputation!

Wu Wang did not relax his focus. Directives were issued one after another, and a complete set of tactical strategies was deployed.

What followed was a series of encirclements targeting relief forces that lasted for several hours. This was combined with a dash of 'empty city' ploys, tactics like 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' and 'feinting east to strike west.' They also fully exploited the spies the Heaven Palace had planted in the Human Domain, releasing a series of false messages…

The Heaven Palace's forces were exhausted from running to and fro, while the Human Domain became more stable.

Through the eyes of those in the War Department, Wu Wang, the Little Golden Dragon of the Human Domain, had clearly gained new "substance."

Tactics, well, they aren't inherently 'dirty' or 'clean.' If they can reduce one's own losses, increase the enemy's casualties, and accurately accomplish strategic objectives, then they are good tactics.

Wu Wang was also constantly adjusting himself. The large-scale group warfare in the Great Wilderness was fundamentally different from the tactical systems he had encountered back home. Even compared to ancient cold-weapon warfare back home, there were great differences. Although many tactics could be directly applied, learning how to grasp the timing, find opportunities, and even calculate the marching speed of each unit, was a profound science.

The basic combat unit here consisted of Cultivators capable of demolishing mountains and shattering rocks. Among the army the Human Domain had deployed this time, only a third were below the Ascending Immortal Realm. And these were truly the elite of the Human Domain. The Human Emperor's Imperial Guards had yet to take the field.

The Young Master, who had always considered "keeping tabs" an unserious affair, also took out a Jade Talisman to keep records, constantly summarizing, deducing, and learning.

Immortals in combat possess evident characteristics of high mobility, high destructive power, and a low margin for error. They rely on battle formations, and the allocation of their immortal power also determines how much combat prowess can be exerted.

As a result, the timeliness of tactical formulation is quite crucial.

The key to a tactic's success lies in whether it can be executed right under the enemy's nose...

After the battle of encircling the marsh to strike reinforcements, the Heaven Palace's main forces suffered heavy losses, marking the first time they had summoned troops from the Eastern Wilderness. The Human Domain, seizing the opportunity, launched a fierce attack from the right flank. The goal was to catch the enemy reinforcements off guard before they were well-established, but the Earth God's defensive tactics were quickly deployed, blocking the Human Domain's repeated fierce attacks. The Heaven Palace used 'space' to offset its 'disadvantage,' continuously consolidating its defense line.

That Earth God indeed knew how to keep his cool, only committing his available forces to the main battlefield and not moving those protecting the retreat route to the front lines. This made Wu Wang's true strategic intent—to attack from the rear—consistently difficult to execute smoothly.

Every punch thrown will eventually lose its strength.

Just as the Heaven Palace accumulated enough strength and prepared to counterattack the Human Domain, Wu Wang had already ordered a retreat a moment earlier, orchestrating an orderly withdrawal of his forces and setting up numerous illusionary formations along the way. The clenched fist of the Heaven Palace once again struck at empty space, causing many Innate Gods to rage vehemently.

According to the information obtained from the Human Domain, at this moment, the pressure on the Earth God was no less than that on Wu Wang.

「And so, the war continued into the third day.」

After two days and three nights since the outbreak of war, the depletion of Wu Wang's spiritual mind was enormous, and his complexion was beginning to show a trace of pallor. But what consoled Wu Wang slightly was that this drain on his spiritual mind had saved the lives of many Immortal Soldiers and Cultivators, and also prevented many 'Dao-burners' from sacrificing themselves in vain. The Heaven Palace's forces were repelled thousands of miles; both the Divine Guards personally trained by the Heaven Palace and the disparate experts from the Hundred Races suffered grievous casualties.

Unfortunately, under the Earth God's defense, the Strong Gods of the Heaven Palace did not fall. Only a few dozen lesser gods were casualties, and most were merely wounded, not fatally.

The Human Domain's achievements were not yet significant enough. And His Majesty Shen Nong's goal, to completely drive the Heaven Palace's influence out of the Southeastern Region, was still far from achieved…

"Wu Wang, you might want to rest for a while," said Xiao Jian Daoist, his eyes tinged with concern, "They're now firmly on the defensive. Although His Majesty asked us to resolve this quickly, achieving this much is already beyond our initial expectations."

"Indeed, Wuwang Palace Lord," an Elder serving as a military strategist sighed. "To be frank, I previously had some reservations about Wuwang Palace Lord, thinking that you had ascended so quickly only due to His Majesty's favor. I never expected that I was indeed so shortsighted. Wuwang Palace Lord dared to slaughter the Southeast Division and openly expressed outrage at the existing flaws within the Human Domain. This already makes him a peerless hero. Only today, fighting side by side with Wuwang Palace Lord, did I realize the extent of his talent."

Wu Wang revealed a somewhat awkward smile. "Senior flatters me. Now is far from the time to celebrate."

He lowered his head and said, "Mark the location of Master Liu."

Immediately, an expert began operating, and shortly, over ten blinking green dots appeared on the Sand Platform. From this central command tent and the War Department, four-fifths of the experts had been dispatched. Only the necessary defensive forces remained to prevent a direct 'decapitation' by the Heaven Palace's Strong Gods.

In the outer tent, the Annihilation Sect's people stood in a corner. Several Elders also wished to volunteer to fight but were stopped by people from the Human Emperor Pavilion, tasking them with guarding the commanding general here. The "commanding general" they referred to at this moment was none other than Wu Wang.

Wu Wang studied the situation for a while and said, "Please ask Master Liu to judge the timing of his intervention. We need to take down a Strong God now to put pressure on the Heaven Palace. Their reserve forces in the Eastern Wilderness are no longer abundant, and their overall layout has revealed a massive flaw. I don't know why... uh, they are still stubbornly refusing to retreat."

"There must be some kind of scheme." Xiao Jian Daoist, with three swords on his back, stroked his chin. He struck a somewhat flamboyant pose and said in a deep voice, "The Heavenly Emperor's methods are beyond any of us. Perhaps they didn't anticipate that we, the Human Domain, could fight like this. Wu Wang, where do these extraordinary strategies of yours come from?"

"Ah," Wu Wang explained calmly, "I once found an ancient military treatise, older than antiquity, called 'Yemen's Art of War.' It recorded some military tactics and strategies. The current battle situation just happens to be suitable for them."

"Yemen's Art of War?" Xiao Jian Daoist was completely puzzled.

Wu Wang smiled and spoke slowly, "For now, the battlefronts are somewhat stable. All units should focus on recovering Mana and replenishing supplies. If the Heaven Palace makes any move, respond immediately according to the established strategies."

After speaking, he waved his hand and voluntarily retreated to a corner, found a wooden chair, and slowly sat down, letting out a soft breath. He closed his eyes, seemingly resting, but then called out twice in his mind:

"Old senior, how are things over there?"

A light sigh from Shen Nong soon echoed in his mind: "There haven't been any more unusual occurrences yet, but the will that appears to be from a remnant soul of a former Human Emperor has absorbed the residual wills of numerous living beings and has become quite formidable."

"What is Emperor Shun scheming?" Wu Wang asked mentally.

"I'm not certain of the specifics," Shen Nong chuckled in Wu Wang's mind. "In the past, the former Human Emperor ventured alone into the Heaven Palace and never returned. The Human Domain then fell into turmoil, which set the stage for my gradual rise. Back then, before His Majesty Fu Xi, I was but a reasonably decent youth."

Wu Wang muttered, "A notably handsome young man within a thousand li radius?"

"Nonsense! What are you talking about!" Shen Nong's voice turned stern, but then he calmly added, "To win the heart of my son's mother, it wasn't my cultivation, Mana, or innate talent that mattered."

Wu Wang's mouth twitched.

...

I wonder if the Young Master has been bullied by anyone.

Outside the inner tent, within a corner of the central command tent that could rival a palace, the people of the Annihilation Sect were on tenterhooks. Lin Suqing looked somewhat haggard, sitting on a wooden chair, propping up her fair cheek with her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with worry. Others thought her cultivation too weak, good only for serving tea, washing clothes, and folding quilts. However, having been by Wu Wang's side for a considerable time, she could see through some things. For instance, the various Human Domain forces' wariness and dissatisfaction with 'Wu Wangzi, the Little Golden Dragon of the Human Domain,' were crystal clear to Lin Suqing.

Actually, human hearts are quite simple. But when many people come together to form a force, that force itself possesses a 'will,' which can compel those individuals to make decisions that go against their conscience. The Young Master came here today purely wanting to see if he could help, and he has conducted himself with integrity. But the forces seeking to target him will still do so. Now, he has once again gone behind that curtain, delving into the "dark dealings" within. No matter how I look at it, it feels somewhat ominous.

A flapping of wings was heard from the side. The Blue Bird hurried over, landing on Lin Suqing's shoulder. It gently pecked at her collarbone, which was shaped like an unfolding flower calyx, and transmitted telepathically, "Don't worry. I have asked around. The whole battle situation is under his command, and nobody dares to single him out deliberately."

"Sigh," Lin Suqing cupped the Blue Bird in her hands, holding it to her chest and gently stroking its feathers. She transmitted softly, "We have been winning all along. But if we start losing and someone needs to be blamed, that's when the trouble will begin."

"You're thinking too ill of them." The Blue Bird, comfortably squinting its eyes, transmitted back, "If there really are such people, we obviously can't let them off easily. The Human Domain now is truly different from before."

Lin Suqing gently shook her head, and the Blue Bird also tilted its head in thought.

...

「In the Heavenly Palace Faction, at the rear of the three armies.」

The hall where the Earth God was located was rather noisy. Many Innate Gods had rushed here from various frontlines, taking the opportunity during this 'truce' to discuss the future direction of this war. Many Innate Gods began questioning the Earth God, asking what the purpose of fighting this battle here was. If they wanted to start a war with the Human Domain, why not awaken the combatants that could be awakened in the Heaven Palace? Why not strike back at the Human Domain before the Candle Dragon broke through its seal?

These several questions, however, the Earth God was unable to answer. This robust Divine Spirit sat on a throne in the middle of the hall. Before him, a long table held a scroll map, its function similar to the Human Domain's Sand Platform. The Earth God's eyes showed a hint of helplessness, but the imposing aura surrounding him prevented lesser gods from getting too close.

The clamorous questioning from the nearby Divine Spirits had not yet subsided when bad news arrived from the rear: a large number of Human Domain experts had been mobilized again, disappearing over the East Sea. If these experts were aiming to cut off the Heaven Palace's retreat, the Heaven Palace forces would face an extremely dire situation.

"Earth God, why not retreat yet?"

"Lord Earth God, what exactly are you doing? What's the purpose of our fight here? To be targets for the Human race?"

"Earth God, you need to give us a clear explanation."

In a corner of the hall, the Head Manager, who seemed to have materialized there unnoticed, stood with his hands behind his back, eyes narrowed, observing the Earth God. The Head Manager's body seemed somewhat translucent, as if only a fragment of his Divine Soul was present; his main body had not stirred. He was watching an interesting spectacle.

The Head Manager truly had not expected that Wu Wangzi actually knew how to conduct warfare. Furthermore, his moves were so extraordinary that they left the Earth God, a Heaven Palace Strong God adept at defense, utterly flustered and struggling to cope. Indeed, the most important factor was that the overall power stationed in this area by the Human Domain surpassed that of the Heaven Palace. Moreover, the Human Domain had chosen the correct strategy and employed superior tactics. The Heaven Palace's current predicament was, therefore, quite understandable.

But looking at the Earth God's current state, I almost want to laugh.

The Earth God's bushy eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and just as he was about to speak, saying, "I..."

"It is I who instructed the Earth God to act thus."

An elegant voice sounded from above the hall. Golden clouds billowed and rosy light spread as mist formed out of thin air. Within it, a figure stepped forth, donned in blue robes, wearing a tall, fastened hat, his face as handsome as jade, his figure tall and slender.

The gods hastily hailed His Majesty, and the Earth God rose, cupping his fists in salute.

In the corner, the Head Manager's expression suddenly changed.

'It is I who instructed the Earth God to act thus...' His Majesty, actually stepping forward to take responsibility for an Innate God...

The Head Manager clenched his fists, but this fragment of his Divine Soul quickly dissipated, not lingering any longer.

Throughout all of this, the suddenly appearing Emperor Shun never gave this former high official an extra glance. Smiling, he descended before the gods and slowly said, "Today, a significant event will occur. The experts brought from the Hundred Races should be expended here as much as possible. I need the remnant souls of these beings. As for why, do not ask too much. It will be made evident later."

His words were like a calming pill or a stabilizing charm for the many Innate Gods. They all responded in unison, each feeling a bit more assured.

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