“Lost again.”
After much inner turmoil, Zhong Ling finally let her piece slip, realizing she had completely lost this round.
In fact, she had been aware of her defeat long ago, and every move afterward was just a guide from her opponent, leading her to the inevitable.
At that moment, Zhong Ling deeply understood why this 28-year-old girl could overshadow the astonishing Li Mo, who had made it to the top ten of the Qianlong List at an unprecedented young age and was hailed as a fairy.
“Uh…”
Zhong Ling was about to speak.
“Did I win?”
But she noticed Little Li had unknowingly crept up behind Ying Bing, earnestly staring at the board. He was so close while talking that his mouth nearly brushed her ear.
The absolute strategist under the desperate gaze of the Cold Fairy subtly shrank her neck.
She couldn’t have seen wrong!
Ying Bing’s fingers trembled as she released a black piece onto the board.
Yet, she remained icy and composed:
“Uh-huh, just discussing strategies with Zhong Ling.”
Li Mo tilted his head: “Isn’t this just using chess to strategize military formations?”
“How do you know that…”
Ying Bing paused.
“Commander Qu said you’re proficient in commanding military formations; the more the merrier! Miss Zhong was practically doubting her life after you wiped the floor with her.”
“…..”
Ying Bing cast a glance at Zhong Ling: “She’s not bad. If I let her play with a few less pieces, she might not lose.”
Zhong Ling: “….. You’re too kind.”
“Is she really that amazing?!”
Li Mo could tell from Zhong Ling’s expression that it was genuine, so he thoroughly examined the chessboard and then gave Ying Bing a thumbs-up, which earned him a cold glare from the Cold Fairy.
This Go game might not have been high-stakes, but the emotional value was through the roof.
“Then I’ll leave my Green Wood Camp warriors under Miss Ying’s command.”
Qu Sheng delivered his flag.
“Let’s try ten units, shall we?”
“Ten should be fine; depending on the situation, we can add more later.”
Li Mo looked at the rows of long spears below and felt a stirring male spirit rise from within, as if every cell in his body was buzzing with excitement.
It was hard to tell if he was brimming with battle spirit or simply a tad anxious.
“Starting with ten units?” Qu Sheng raised an eyebrow.
The other commanders exchanged glances. The strongest among them had just reached the third level of internal mastery, yet accommodating military strength had been challenging; handling a thousand troops was no easy task.
Yet here was Ying Bing, taking the flag with an unflinching gaze towards Li Mo: “Go ahead, just let loose.”
“!”
Suddenly, Little Li felt he didn’t need to overthink things anymore.
Someone was backing him up.
So, with big strides, he stepped into the formation, and soon the seven mysterious pills in his Dantian began to tremble; a phantom of a monkey appeared behind him, its eyes seemingly ablaze with golden flames.
Li Mo shouted:
“Are there any brothers willing to help me form the array?”
“Count me in!”
“Li the Young Hero is so generous! How could we rain on his parade!”
“Being a soldier under Li the Young Hero? Hahaha, we’ll have plenty to brag about when we drink later!”
The sergeants and the captains were all eager to jump in, worried they’d miss their chance; it was more than just making up ten units.
In the end, what remained beside Little Li were the most elite captains.
“Rise!”
With the flag fluttering overhead.
Ying Bing was both familiarizing herself with commanding the troops and applying the military formation techniques she had just learned from Zhong Ling.
Once you master one technique, all techniques become clear.
The military formation was just a form of martial arts, albeit one meant for many to execute together.
With thousands in formation, under her command, it was like a finely-tuned machine made of people.
“So, this is the power of a military formation?”
In an instant, Li Mo felt a surge of energy within him.
The little figures in his Dantian glowed, the Taiyin divine pattern and the stone monkey divine pattern lighting up in succession.
The energies of valiant warriors were continuously fed into the formation’s heart, processed through his consciousness soul, and infused into his body.
Friendly reminder: If you think this book is good, to avoid losing it next time, please remember to add it to your bookshelf!
“Similar to harnessing the power of the world, yet not quite the same—there’s an added killing intent and military aura.”
“Will the extreme combat body have such effects?”
Li Mo felt a rush of vitality, stirring his thoughts.
Boom—
A large coral stone landed onto the field. This was a gift from Guo Jing, who had saved him, but the Sky Flood Dragon insisted on trading for it.
“Whale Breath Coral? You don’t see a chunk this big often.”
“Is the Young Hero testing his attack strength?”
“Tsk tsk tsk! He completely absorbed the power of ten military units; he’s got the bearing of a general! This is unprecedented for the Young Hero, right?”
“The Cold Fairy’s command over the military formation is also frightening.”
The commanders were watching this scene keenly.
“According to ancient legends, there was a tyrant, gifted with the Grand Sky Body, who by sixteen was unbeatable—can Li Brother manage that?” Zhong Zhenyue mused below.
“Where does his limit lie?”
Qu Sheng glanced at Ying Bing, then at Li Mo, murmuring:
“Surely not now.”
Boom—
Accompanied by the phantom of Wuzhi Qi pounding its chest.
The Whale Breath Coral erupted with a booming sound as it hit the ground, causing it to tremble; its color rippled like water, staining the three nearby areas.
Purple!
This indicated that Li Mo’s casual strike could rival any internal mastery technique.
“Still not enough!”
Li Mo sensed the increasingly solid Wuzhi Qi phantom and his voice thundered across the field.
“How many more units?”
Qu Sheng asked loudly.
Ying Bing lowered her gaze and exchanged a glance with Li Mo.
“Thirty units!” ×2
They exclaimed in unison.
“A one-time addition of thirty units?”
The field fell silent, with the soldiers thinking they had misheard.
Qu Sheng took a deep breath, having an inkling of what the young pair were attempting:
“First Battalion, Fifth Battalion, Third Battalion—step forward in order!”
“Understood!”
Three thousand troops, forbidden from rushing forth, began preparing to line up for the formation.
“Qu Uncle, is jumping to thirty units too big a leap?!”
Zhong Zhenyue looked anxious.
Zhong Ling gazed at the armored forces below, also finding it hard to believe.
That was four thousand troops!
Wait a minute…
Qu Sheng, feeling hot despite the cold weather, trembled as he spoke:
“You have no idea what they’re doing; they’re creating history—military history!”
“Creating history?” Zhong Zhenyue was bewildered.
Zhong Ling looked at Ying Bing, who waved her flag, her colors shifting like dawn light, and suddenly recalled what the Cold Fairy had once said.
Wind, forest, fire, and mountain—mutually reinforcing each other.
“Is she going to simulate a battlefield with forty units to create an internal realm for Li Mo using four thousand troops?!”
“Constructing an internal realm out of military units?!”
In an instant, Zhong Zhenyue’s mind buzzed.
No one had ever done this before; perhaps someone had, but no one had ever accomplished it.
What kind of genius could come up with this? What kind of timing, place, and circumstances would allow theory to become reality?
Zhong Zhenyue’s heartbeat quickened as he realized what this meant.
Once completed, history in military affairs would likely be turned on its head.
Whoosh—
Ying Bing’s beautiful eyes resembled a mirror of ice, reflecting the spirited young man in the formation; she gently waved her hand, stirring the clouds and mist.
The fiery aura shifted colors, transforming into a swift blue.
“Wind!”
…..
P.S.: A lot of flu going around recently, so everyone take care of your health! I’m going to take a hot shower and see if I feel better tomorrow. Goodnight, hugs~
