'Perhaps if his younger brother, Chu Weili, had advanced and been there to help, the Heaven-Locking Interlocking Four Symbols Formation could have displayed even greater power. Maybe the outcome would have been completely different.'
Li Yan mused as he flew.
At the same time, Wei Zhongran had told him that the cultivators the Malevolent Spirit Sect had dispatched were no longer just from Four Symbols Peak. With the exception of Little Bamboo Peak, disciples from the other three peaks had also been successively transferred over. Similarly, the conscripted cultivators were no longer just from the sects and families under the Malevolent Spirit Sect's jurisdiction but were arranged by the Four Great Sects and dispatched from nearby areas.
Meanwhile, the situations at Demon-Swallowing Ridge and Sword-Subduing Abyss were also critical. The Demon Clan was simultaneously dividing its forces to attack these two locations, with tens of thousands of cultivators clashing on each battlefield. Demon-Swallowing Ridge was primarily defended by the Jingtu Sect, while Sword-Subduing Abyss was defended by the Ten-Pace Courtyard. As for the Supreme Mystery Teachings, their losses had been too great, and all the cultivators who had escaped were teleported to the Devil's Cliff Crevice.
The abyss beneath the Devil's Cliff Crevice had now expanded to the point where Demon Lords were appearing daily. The fighting was exceptionally fierce, a clear sign that the Demon Clan on the other side of the crevice was going all out this time, vowing to take the Desolate Moon Continent.
The Jingtu Sect, the Ten-Pace Courtyard, and the Malevolent Spirit Sect had all sent their elite disciples to defend it. According to Wei Zhongran, the defense there was also extremely perilous, with a large number of cultivators and demonic cultivators falling every day.
Everyone on Little Bamboo Peak was injured. Yun Chunqu and Wen Xinliang were already in seclusion due to heavy injuries. The others were not in good shape either, but at least, as of now, no one from Little Bamboo Peak had fallen. This had something to do with Li Wuyi's arrangements.
For now, this information was only known to cultivators at the Golden Core realm and above to avoid causing panic among the lower-level cultivators. Wei Zhongran had only mentioned it briefly.
Li Yan could only indirectly inquire about Gong Chenying's condition. Hearing that she was only injured brought him some relief, but he was still worried. As for Zhao Min, he couldn't ask any further and could only fret in his heart.
Wei Zhongran evidently saw the worry in Li Yan's eyes and offered a few words of comfort.
Li Yan also knew that even if the battle at the Devil's Cliff Crevice was more intense than the one here, he couldn't request to be transferred. After all, even Wei Zhongran hadn't left. In the eyes of those who didn't know better, the Devil's Cliff Crevice might be considered the rear. Getting transferred there would be seen as an act of self-preservation, making it even more inappropriate to suggest now.
Windy Cool Mountain was very large. The western peak where the "Green Bat Battalion" was located seemed close, but it still took Li Yan a short while of flying to land halfway up a mountain.
There was a mountain gate here, and behind it, a large hall. Although Li Yan had long known the "Green Bat Battalion" was here, this was his first time visiting.
Soon, he found a Malevolent Spirit Sect deacon inside the hall.
The man looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, appearing sharp and capable. His eyes darted up and down, sizing up Li Yan. When he saw the small golden bamboo emblem on Li Yan's sleeve and sensed his Pseudo-Core Realm cultivation, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. He then took the initiative to speak with a smile.
"This must be Senior Brother Li Yan. Truly a man of striking appearance, and your cultivation is like a dragon among men. May I ask what business brings Senior Brother Li here?" The man guessed Li Yan's identity at once, his words filled with respect.
Li Yan was not surprised that the other party knew his name. By now, any sect disciple who had been at Windy Cool Mountain for some time would know he was here. Even if they didn't recognize him, besides himself, the only other person from Little Bamboo Peak here was his master. The man naturally wouldn't be mistaken. However, hearing himself described as a "man of striking appearance" and a "dragon among men," Li Yan felt his dark face grow a little hot.
The person opposite him was only at the Initial-stage Foundation Establishment. It was not out of place for him to call Li Yan "Senior Brother." The words he spoke seemed as natural as if they were the gospel truth. He was clearly skilled at interacting with people, a fitting trait for a deacon.
Li Yan also politely cupped his fist. "Junior Brother, I need to know how to get to the Sixteenth Squad."
"Oh, so Senior Brother Li is looking for the Green Sixteenth Squad. The way is easy to find. It's behind this hall."
"After passing through the main hall, Senior Brother will see a row of courtyards. The one with a plaque hanging outside that reads 'Qing Zhen Shiliu' is the place."
With that, he pointed behind him. Li Yan looked in that direction and saw a large gate at the back of the hall, with cultivators coming and going.
'Qing Zhen Shiliu!' (TN: "Qing" for Green Bat Battalion, "Zhen" is one of the Eight Trigrams, and "Shiliu" means sixteen.) Li Yan recited it silently in his heart and understood. Windy Cool Mountain was a branch courtyard of the Ten-Pace Courtyard, and many of the signs here corresponded to the Eight Trigrams, just like the Ninth Squad of the "Heavy Peak Battalion" which had the Qian Nine plate.
Li Yan smiled and thanked him, then turned to leave. The deacon, however, showed a hint of hesitation in his eyes, as if he had something more to say. Seeing this, Li Yan stopped in his tracks, a thought occurring to him.
"What is it? Does Junior Brother have something else to say?"
"Oh, it's nothing... I just... just wanted to ask, is Senior Brother Li here to find an acquaintance in the Sixteenth Squad, or are you reporting for duty to join the squad?"
"The latter. Is there a problem?"
"Was it really Martial Uncle Wei's arrangement?"
"Of course. Junior Brother, what exactly are you trying to say?" Li Yan was already getting a little annoyed at the other's persistent questioning. He thought to himself, 'If you have something to say, just say it. Why beat around the bush?'
"Oh, hehe... What I want to tell Senior Brother is that this Sixteenth Squad has the highest casualty rate of all the squads in the 'Green Bat' Battalion."
"The battlefield they are defending... I heard the number of demonic cultivators there far exceeds that of many other defensive points. In less than half a month, the one hundred members of the Green Sixteenth Squad have suffered more than half in casualties. So, I was just wondering if Martial Uncle Wei might have made a mistake in the arrangement..."
By the end, the deacon had switched to voice transmission, and he stole a glance at Li Yan.
Li Yan's expression remained unchanged, but he was smiling wryly in his heart. 'Master really thinks highly of me, directly assigning me to a squad with such a high casualty rate. The danger of that battlefield has exceeded his predictions.'
But his face remained impassive as he also replied via voice transmission, "I am going to the Sixteenth Squad, and it is the Sixteenth Squad of the Green Bat Battalion. That is correct."
"Since the number of demonic cultivators in the direction they are defending is so large, why aren't cultivators from other battalions sent to support them?"
"So it really was Martial Uncle Wei who arranged for you to come here. How... interesting."
"Oh, I heard Senior Brother was injured while on a mission some time ago, so it seems you're not fully aware of some things. The demonic cultivators we're facing now are different from the ones encountered during reconnaissance missions. Back then, the main goal for both sides was to gather intelligence."
"It's different now. The demonic cultivators seem to have received some kind of order. They are all enraged and completely fearless of death. It often takes several of our people to tie down one of them."
"At the same time, we have to spare manpower to constantly guard against them using the South Sea cultivators to self-destruct. So, our side is stretched quite thin."
"Every day, a large number of cultivators are transferred here, but they are quickly sent to the front. You can imagine how tight the situation is on the front lines."
"If not for the excessive casualties in the Green Sixteenth Squad, they wouldn't have been allowed to withdraw for reorganization. They definitely wouldn't have been left here waiting for Senior Brother to report for duty."
After hearing this, Li Yan nodded, then cupped his fist. "Thank you, Junior Brother!"
He said no more on the matter, but he did confirm one thing: this time, he was joining the "Sixteenth Squad," not the "Sixteenth Small Squad." This meant that with the escalation of the war, small-unit harassment was no longer needed; it was now large-scale warfare. He wondered if Bai Rou's old small squad had now become "Zhong Qian Jiu."
Li Yan then pushed these matters from his mind and walked towards the rear hall gate. He was well aware of the demonic cultivators' combat strength. An ordinary cultivator would indeed need two, or even several people, to hold one of them down.
Watching Li Yan's retreating back, the deacon stood stunned for a moment before shaking his head. "I never thought Martial Uncle Wei would act like this, putting his own direct disciple in such a dangerous place."
After passing through the hall gate, due to the mountain's terrain, Li Yan could even overlook many places. Several large areas appeared in his field of vision, resembling training grounds.
With the directions he'd been given, Li Yan followed the wide road, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the crimson copper plates on the courtyard gates. Soon, he stopped in front of one.
The courtyard gate was very wide, with its double doors half-closed. On the upper right side of the gate hung a crimson copper plate with "Zhen Shiliu" inscribed on it. (TN: Zhen Sixteen) The moment Li Yan arrived, he heard a clamor of voices from within. He immediately stopped at the entrance.
In his memory, even in the "Heavy Peak Battalion," although members of each small squad would often discuss and joke around, they always kept their voices within a certain range to avoid disturbing others. But the noise coming from here was like a mortal world's vegetable market, a chaotic mess. And amidst the din, Li Yan heard a very familiar voice.
"I heard that after the Sixteenth Squad is reorganized this time, the position of captain will still be filled by someone sent from the Malevolent Spirit Sect. I've made some inquiries. The previous Sixteenth Squad suffered heavy casualties, partly due to the difficulty of dealing with the demonic cultivators."
"Another reason is that although the original captain was also at the Pseudo-Core Realm, his actual combat strength was not the highest in the squad."
"A captain like that will inevitably find it hard to command respect from others, leading to resistance when deploying squad members."
"When facing the enemy, this kind of trouble can be a fatal blow to the entire squad. Therefore, I propose that the new captain of the Sixteenth Squad should be chosen by us..."
As this voice finished, a chorus of agreement rose from below.
"What you say is absolutely right! We can't let them take all the important positions just because the Malevolent Spirit Sect is in charge here..."
"However, if the appointed captain is truly strong, then it's acceptable..."
"..."
Listening from outside the gate, a smile appeared on Li Yan's face. He thought to himself, 'It's been years, but Bu Luo's personality is still the same—arrogant and domineering!'
Li Yan never expected to run into such a familiar person here. It was none other than the book-boy Bu Luo, whom he had met in the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.
Considering the fellow's trouble-making nature, Li Yan wasn't surprised that he would say such things.
Previously, apart from the Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples, all the other conscripted cultivators at Windy Cool Mountain were under the sect's jurisdiction, so none of them dared to defy the Malevolent Spirit Sect's orders.
But things were different now. The conscripted cultivators here were no longer divided by region; cultivators under the jurisdiction of the Ten-Pace Courtyard and the Jingtu Sect were everywhere. Naturally, these cultivators who were not under the Malevolent Spirit Sect's control had much less reverence for them. As long as it wasn't a direct confrontation with a senior cultivator from the Malevolent Spirit Sect, they dared to speak their minds in private.
Evidently, they all had opinions about the direct appointment of the Sixteenth Squad's captain. People like Bu Luo, who were inherently arrogant and would stir up trouble even when there was none, were even more dissatisfied.
Listening to the commotion inside, Li Yan slipped through the ajar gate. His arrival did not attract anyone's attention, as there were already a dozen or so cultivators standing just inside the gate, watching the center of the courtyard in small groups.
The courtyard was a full hundred zhang in size, appearing very spacious. At this moment, nearly a hundred people were gathered in the center, clearly divided into two groups.