Li Yan preferred to let everyone know the situation they were facing.
He didn't want to participate in such a war either. He had already set foot on the path of immortality and wanted to walk the Way of Eternal Life , but right now, he still had family.
If Li Yan had the ability, he would rather take all his relatives to another continent, to hell with the sinking and fall of the Desolate Moon Continent .
Unfortunately, he couldn't do any of that. He could only fight to the death to protect the family behind him.
"When 'Mutual Destruction Ridge' is under attack, why can't the cultivators on the two wings of Windy Cool Mountain provide support? That would greatly relieve the pressure here," Bu Luo said with dissatisfaction, adjusting the straps on his shoulders.
"Idiot!"
Nearby, Qiao Baiye muttered under his breath. If Windy Cool Mountain had reinforcements to spare, this place wouldn't be in this state. This idiot was actually asking such a ridiculous question.
As expected, Gong Yuantai merely shot Bu Luo a sideways glance.
"I suppose Fellow Daoist Bu Luo has yet to gain a deep understanding of the terrain here. Any cultivator who has previously served as a scout here would surely know. 'Mutual Destruction Ridge' juts forward. If we say the main range of Windy Cool Mountain is the body, then this ridge is an outstretched hand, with large open areas on its two sides. Our so-called two wings are actually to the rear flanks. When the Demon Clan attacks, they almost always attack multiple points simultaneously. Where would the other locations find spare cultivators to send as reinforcements ? Secondly, even if reinforcements were dispatched, they would be immediately intercepted by the Demon Clan, leaving only this isolated peak facing vast numbers of enemies on both sides. The only reason we were able to get here today is because the upper echelons received intelligence and analyzed that the Demon Clan would not launch an attack during this specific window of time. That's how we managed to rush over. Otherwise, we might have been intercepted and trapped midway by the Demon Clan."
After hearing this, Bu Luo's eyes darted around as he said, "That's easy enough to solve. Just set up a Teleportation Formation on this mountain, and you can just keep sending in cultivators from the rear. That way, we'd have a steady stream of reinforcements ."
One had to admit, Bu Luo's method was indeed the best solution. Cultivators were not mortal armies, whose supply lines were vulnerable to enemy infiltration and sabotage.
Gong Yuantai shook his head. "A Teleportation Formation can be set up, but that's not the key issue. Does Fellow Daoist Bu Luo really think there are that many cultivators at Foundation Establishment and above on the Desolate Moon Continent ? As for a 'steady stream' like you said, if that were truly the case, you wouldn't have been conscripted from nearby to come here. Our cultivators would have been gathered in massive numbers at every defensive point, and Windy Cool Mountain would have been garrisoned with tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of cultivators. As it is, almost the entire South Sea has fallen under the control of the Demon Clan. The Desolate Moon Continent has lost a quarter of its territory, leaving only the regions governed by the three major sects. The Demon Clan army can attack any defensive point they choose, which means our forces are stretched even thinner, requiring us to deploy cultivators to many defensive points as a precaution. Furthermore, we have too many locations to defend, not just Windy Cool Mountain , Demon-Swallowing Ridge , and Sword-Subduing Abyss that we've heard about. It's just that these are currently the confirmed directions of the Demon Clan's main offensive. If the defenses on the east, west, and north flanks were to be neglected, the Demon Clan army could launch a surprise attack in those directions. For cultivators, distance is not much of an obstacle. So, the only thing to do is to invest cultivators to defend the other three directions as well. No matter how powerful the Four Great Sects are, it's impossible for them to set up Teleportation Formations at every single point of attack. I've especially heard that the Devil's Cliff Crevice is widening by the day, and it's tying up nearly half of our forces. The number of cultivators being sent there now is even greater than here."
The matter of the Devil's Cliff Crevice was no longer a mystery. Gong Yuantai held a respectable position on Lord Lao Peak , so he was privy to more information.
However, when these words fell on Li Yan's ears, he knew the real situation was not as Gong Yuantai described. The information he had received was more complete and extensive.
Wei Zhongran had privately told him that the reason they were continuously adopting a defensive, rather than offensive, posture here was that they were waiting for the right opportunity.
First, the Nascent Soul experts from Luoshu Lake had already quietly infiltrated back into the South Sea . This side was awaiting their final report to launch a decisive, fatal strike from both within and without.
The second reason was something that made even Li Yan feel that cultivators were truly ruthless.
At the three major defensive areas here, as well as most other defensive points, the Four Great Sects had the capability to build Teleportation Formations . Though the materials required would be astonishing and drive countless people to madness, the Four Great Sects had profound foundations. Even the Supreme Mystery Teachings had managed to escape with over seventy percent of their resources. They could naturally establish various teleportation points.
This was especially true for a critical location like "Mutual Destruction Ridge," where a Teleportation Formation would certainly be established. Yet, the Four Great Sects deliberately chose not to do so. They came up with various excuses and continuously spread rumors about the critical situation at the "Devil's Cliff Crevice" .
Their goal was to strongly entice the Demon Clan forces coming through the South Sea passage to attack here recklessly, thereby massively depleting the numbers of the Demon Clan army and the Foreign Cultivators .
If Teleportation Formations were established at every point of attack, with a large and sufficient supply of cultivators for battle, the Demon Clan would quickly discover after a period of attacking that it was impossible for them to take the three defensive positions at Windy Cool Mountain .
At that point, they would change their direction of attack and think of other methods. The initiative would still be with the Demon Clan. With the Demon Clan constantly changing and adjusting their battle plans, the war would take an unpredictable turn.
Therefore, the Four Great Sects were dangling this bait in front of the Demon Clan, making them feel that the number of cultivators here was insufficient and that they might soon be able to conquer the three defensive areas, including Windy Cool Mountain .
Wei Zhongran and the others had also received orders to coordinate with the Demon Clan's attacks, gradually shrinking their defensive perimeter. This was to make the Demon Clan feel, both psychologically and perceptually, that events were indeed proceeding according to their plan, prompting them to attack even more heedlessly, thus invisibly depleting their forces in massive numbers.
Thinking of this outcome, Li Yan could only let out a long sigh. Every day, the Four Great Sects would calculate the death toll and, as if stretched to their absolute limit, send out the "perfect" number of cultivators to engage the Demon Clan in a mutual war of attrition. At the same time, this was tantamount to completely abandoning the lives of most cultivators in the South Sea , watching as they were continuously enslaved by Demonic Cultivators and sent to fight their own people.
The deaths of a large number of cultivators did not elicit the slightest sympathy from the high-level cultivators. They continued to proceed with their plans step by step, according to their own designs.
After telling Li Yan all this, Wei Zhongran had taken out an item and handed it to him. It was a "Flowing Light Talisman ."
This talisman could be seen as a type of short-range Teleportation Formation . As such, the "Flowing Light Talisman " was extremely valuable. Typically, only mid to high-level cultivators would possess one, and they rarely appeared in markets.
The main reason was that the raw materials needed to refine this talisman were exceedingly expensive, yet its teleportation range was only about a hundred li. The cost was enough to set up a small-scale Teleportation Formation , and its range would certainly far exceed a hundred li.
Another reason was that using this talisman was very troublesome. One had to first set up a corresponding receiving formation, and this receiving formation had to be crafted using the exact same refining technique as the "Flowing Light Talisman ."
Otherwise, there was an over eighty percent chance that the user would be teleported directly into a Chaotic Flow Space , which was a certain death sentence.
Wei Zhongran had already set up a receiving formation in his Cave Residence at Windy Cool Mountain . As long as Li Yan activated this talisman, he could instantly return to Wei Zhongran's cave.
Of course, Li Yan would not speak of this. But he had to make everyone understand their current predicament. He himself would not use the "Flowing Light Talisman " unless he was at his absolute wit's end.
He knew that Wei Zhongran hoped that, with his life guaranteed, he would do his utmost to slay Demonic Cultivators , and not that he would flee the moment trouble arose.
"Fellow Daoists, you've heard what Senior Brother Gong has said. Since we've been ordered to come here, we can only fight the Demon Clan to the death. I'm sure you all know the fate of deserters on the battlefield, so I won't elaborate on that. Given that Senior Brother Gong is more familiar with this place than I am, the matter of the vacant vice-captain position for the Green Sixteen Squad is easily solved. It shall be filled by Senior Brother Gong. What do you all think?"
Seeing that everyone had fallen silent and the atmosphere had become oppressive after hearing Gong Yuantai's words, with looks of helplessness and even indignation on their faces, Li Yan spoke.
Most of the cultivators who looked helpless had families and sects behind them. They had been warned before coming that if they showed cowardice or fled, their entire family or sect would be implicated, and they themselves would be marked for death by the Four Great Sects .
As for the cultivators with looks of indignation, they were all Rogue Cultivators . They were alone in the world. They could have fled to any remote mountain and hidden away, letting the world outside turn upside down without it concerning them.
But they had been captured by Golden Core cultivators. To prevent them from escaping, all Rogue Cultivators were forced to leave a sliver of their Essence Soul in the hands of the Four Great Sects . If they dared to disobey, no matter where they fled, their life or death would be decided by a single thought from others.
However, among the conscripted cultivators, nearly half had volunteered to fight the Demon Clan. Such cultivators were either hot-blooded or had read about past Demon Clan invasions in ancient texts.
They knew that unless they could leave the Desolate Moon Continent , once the Demon Clan successfully invaded, their figures would appear in every corner of the continent. There would be no such thing as a secluded paradise.
Li Yan couldn't be bothered with all that. He immediately began to make arrangements.
The demons could attack at any moment. Giving them time to mentally prepare was more than enough. He had to arrange everything as quickly as possible.
Cultivators were not mortal armies. Even disciples from the same sect rarely had time to coordinate. Cultivators preferred to cultivate alone, seeking their own immortal fortunes.
But when faced with a great war like this, their coordination appeared somewhat chaotic.
'If this great war continues, I estimate that after a year or two, the coordination between cultivators will likely become much tighter,' Li Yan couldn't help but think.
Li Yan broke the silence.
"We need a cultivator familiar with the battlefield to assist Fellow Daoist Li . I have no objection to Fellow Daoist Gong serving as the vice-captain!" The first to speak was Wang Ning .
With someone familiar with the situation assisting Li Yan, their chances of survival would be much higher. Who wouldn't understand this? Of course, Wang Ning wouldn't contend for the position.
"I agree as well!"
"Fine by me!"
...
For a time, many Pseudo-Core cultivators spoke up. They were the main combat force of this team; the opinions of cultivators below the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment were not needed, with the exception, of course, of a certain book-boy.
Seeing that the majority agreed, Li Yan nodded. As for the few Pseudo-Core cultivators who either remained silent or looked somewhat dissatisfied, he didn't even consider their petty thoughts. Otherwise, what was the point of him being the captain?
The proposal just now was merely to inform others. Whether they agreed or not, the result would be the same. On the battlefield, he had the final say.
Li Yan then looked at Gong Yuantai . His proposal had actually taken Gong Yuantai by surprise. In a team like this, it was reasonable to have a vice-captain, but it was usually a position appointed by the captain to one of his trusted confidants.
Li Yan had arrived at the Green Sixteen Squad alone, so he hadn't proposed a candidate for vice-captain over the past three days. Everyone had assumed that Li Yan intended to monopolize power.
Gong Yuantai hadn't expected that after he had just spoken a few words from his heart, this Junior Brother Li would make such a proposal and arrangement.