I Steal the Ancestors' Sacrifices to Nourish Myself-Chapter 285 - 126: Xiaoyang Tactics Master, General Muo Long: I Will Drain the Last Drop of Human Blood (Part 2)
Of course, there’s another possibility. The Heyang Ruins Market, serving as the hub for transit of spoils, controls a large number of ships. These Xiaoyang might have taken boats northward to escape back to their clan land.
Shen Can thought of several possibilities, but he dismissed them one by one.
Muo Feilong controls so many tribes, combined with the Xiaoyang who retreated from Yang Mountain, and can muster 340,000 clan soldiers.
Such strength, with at least two Celestial Vein Ninth Layer martial artists, is capable of putting up a fight. Running away seems unreasonable.
"I remember the area around the Heyang Ruins Market is interwoven with rivers, with lots of wetlands and quite a few small mountain ranges."
Shen Can walked up to the map. This map was not detailed, but since he had traversed the northern areas of Ji Land many times, some of the terrains were already imprinted in his mind.
Not to mention, when he was steering Xiaoyang’s Tier Three Martial Artists to their doom along the Guimu River, he often hid in the wetlands on its banks.
Upon hearing this, Huo Chang also grew serious.
"Xiaoyang is learning from when we were in the Northern Lands, breaking up into smaller groups!"
This tactic was quite effective against Xiaoyang, but if Xiaoyang used it on us, it could be troublesome.
Even though Xiaoyang’s situation differs from the Human Race, breaking a large group into smaller ones and spreading them across the vast plains would lead an army to weariness after constant night raids.
"Xiaoyang has also learned our tactics!"
Huo Chang hadn’t expected Xiaoyang to learn the tactics. Who the hell taught them the Blazing Flame Martial Art?
"Clan Leader, maybe not. We don’t really have intelligence proving that the Xiaoyang of Heyang Ruins Market have broken up into smaller units."
Though Huo Ning spoke to explain, he still felt uneasy.
If that were the case, the ensuing attack wouldn’t be so simple.
Sending too many troops could invite harassment, while sending too few would risk getting trapped. After all, this strategy was devised by the Ancestral Temple Keeper and had proven effective in battle.
Moments later, Huo Chang spoke, "Send the Cyan Simurgh Soldiers to seek out the Xiaoyang Tribe from the sky."
"Send word to Huo Tu to investigate Heyang and nearby mountains, lakes, and other places where people could hide."
"Also, check the vicinity of Yang Mountain Ruins Market; if Xiaoyang is indeed considering this plan, they might have returned."
At this moment, Shen Can said, "The clan soldiers must also mobilize, creating a stance of a northern expedition."
The Xiaoyang in the vast lands aren’t blind or deaf; they collaborate with many Blood Warriors and Blood Witches.
Soon, one by one, Cyan Simurghs soared into the air from the clan city, heading north.
Countless scouts dispersed into the wilderness.
...
Outside the clan city, the army camped, with camps stretching more than ten miles against the mountain. Giant crossbows glinted with cold light.
In the distance, on the widening river channel, several small warships flying the Luo River banner swayed on the water.
Because this is a minor tributary of the Guimu River and the river channel is not deep enough, the larger warships of the Luo River Bo Division were floating south in the waters controlled by the Human Race along the Guimu River.
Around the camp and riverbank were war soldiers riding Antelope Qilin Beasts, patrolling continuously back and forth.
Visible and hidden guards spanned a hundred miles around the camp.
Any flying bird appearing outside the camp was shot down. If they flew too high, the Cyan Simurgh leaders would personally handle it.
Even Cyan Simurgh messenger birds had to continually call out to have the camp’s Cyan Simurgh Birds receive them.
In the camp’s main tent, Huo Chang was bent over recording something on a desk.
Not until the latter half of the night, when he finished recording, did he go to the side wooden cot, lie down, and begin to rest.
With moonlight like water, the camp was quiet except for the sounds of patrolling and the occasional muffled roar of beasts.
Silently, a shadow slipped into the camp and then into the tent where Huo Chang resided.
A flash of blood light burst forth, accompanied by a low whisper of witchcraft, descending upon the resting Huo Chang.
The incantation’s murmur, akin to flies, quickly gathered a blood light that floated onto Huo Chang.
But before the blood light touched him, it dissipated like rain and snow.
"Not good!"
The attacker immediately sensed something was wrong, surged with a blood aura, and rushed outside the tent.
On the bed, Shen Can sat up, watching the figure trying to flee the tent.
The fleeing figure suddenly fell to the ground, the blood aura dissipating, revealing a skinny figure.
This person was covered in dense scales, with rough hairs in the gaps, glimmering with specks of blood light.
The ability to hide came from the alternating light and dark mist emanating from the body, obscuring their form in the flickering flames.
"Tier Four!"
Shii Zhuo trembled on the ground, never expecting to encounter a Tier Four Martial Artist.
Wasn’t the order just to assassinate a Celestial Vein Eighth Layer Human?
Then, Shii Zhuo started to shiver all over, with foul blood gushing out from the scales, a rotten odor spreading in the air.
Pfft!
The next moment, Shen Can stepped forward, his blood aura gathered like a mountain beneath his feet, crushing Shii Zhuo into a pile of sludge, splattering foul blood on the surrounding tent.
The Blood Witches’ methods were indeed strange. Some could transmit what they saw to their Sacrificial Master using special techniques.
He couldn’t let them have that opportunity; he killed him with a stomp.
He then rummaged through the foul blood and pulled out several armor plates.
"Crocodile Dragon Scale."
The armor plates were just like those on the slain Xiaoyang mount, the Crocodile Dragon.
Even without the armor plates, it was clear: the attacker here to assassinate Huo Chang was none other than Xiaoyang.
Previously, the Jishan Bo Division suffered from Xiaoyang’s assassination attempts; using such strange methods made them virtually invincible.
Now, they started to use them against the Blazing Flame Division.
The attacker bore no Witch Pouch, indicating they were likely a Death Warrior under Xiaoyang’s control.
From the moment they entered the tent, the Blood Witch exuded an eerie aura, fluctuating between Tier Three Peak and Tier Three Middle Stage.
This further proved it— a deliberately trained Death Warrior.
In the days following the assassination, reconnaissance reports gradually trickled in, revealing numerous figures in remote mountains, wetlands, and rivers.
Several scouts investigating the forests disappeared.
Upon discovering the situation, even if it wasn’t entirely clear, it didn’t impact subsequent judgments.
Xiaoyang was learning from the Blazing Flame Division’s tricks used in the Northern Mountains.
The deadly element of this method was disappearing into the mountain nooks and wetlands after the strike, requiring dozens or even hundreds to catch one person.
Adding poison to the mix, deliberately wounding people to a severe state would double the logistical burden.
After identifying Xiaoyang’s strategy, Shen Can and Huo Chang secretly discussed the matter.
Then, the Three Fire Tribe, along with the Four-direction Camp, remained locked for over a month, with the clan soldiers continuously training.
A month later.
Huo Chang, commanding the army on a war chariot, led the march northward.
The news of the army’s northern advance rapidly reached Xiaoyang.
A thousand miles south of Heyang Ruins Market, in a rolling mountain range.
"General, there’s news. The Three Fire Tribal soldiers are moving north and are indeed advancing along the Guimu River."
Within a cave, Muo Long, donned in Black Water Profound Pattern Armor, was cultivating. Hearing this, he immediately opened his eyes.
"Good, I’m going to show these human races my power!"
"Did they board ships?"
"No, they advanced directly along the Guimu River shore, with about 100,000 of them."
"100,000?"
Muo Long’s eyes gleamed with sharp light.
"A mere 100,000. As long as Commander follows my strategy, what do they count for? Even elite troops in fine armor will be routed, eventually swallowed by my Xiaoyang."
"Let these human races see what true strategy is all about!"
"Let’s go!"
With that, Muo Long walked out of the cave.
"Let those fools within the clan see why I leaped to become a General, while they remain Myriarchs."
After Qiu Que’s defeat at Yang Mountain, the Three Fires’ forces were directed towards Heyang Ruins Market. Muo Feilong, who was stationed at Heyang, intended to gather troops for a counterattack.
However, it was Muo Long who presented this strategy to the commander, leading to a promotion from Myriarch to General, earning considerable respect from the commander.
To maintain this honor, Muo Long needed to show the commander and fellow clansmen the brilliance of the plan.
Hence, in this first battle, he intended to personally command the clan soldiers to harass the human race.
