"Now that both sides have chosen their factions, Generals, please take your positions."
Han Li waved his hand, and two soldiers clad in black iron armor stepped forward, each carrying a small box. They approached Ling Feng and Wu Kui respectively.
Inside the boxes were miniature flags—some inscribed with "Yang" (representing the Tianyang Empire's forces), others with "Bai" (for the Tianbai Empire).
"Each flag represents ten thousand troops," the armored soldier beside Ling Feng explained in detail, outlining the different unit types of the Tianyang army. After finishing, he placed the box at the edge of the table to Ling Feng's right and retreated.
Silence fell over the command tent.
Every gaze was fixed on Ling Feng and Wu Kui—even Tuoba Yan and Mu Qianxue, who had zero interest in military affairs, couldn't look away.
"The sand table simulation begins now. Both sides may deploy their flags." Han Li's voice was solemn.
To soldiers, every sand table simulation was a battle of wisdom and strategy, a crucial method for devising combat plans. This exercise might even yield tactics for future wars.
"General Ling, I won't bully you. I'll make the first move—consider it a demonstration!"
Wu Kui smirked confidently. "Watch closely."
With a flick of his wrist, the flags in his hand scattered across the sand table. Wherever they landed, the sand-formed soldiers swiftly regrouped, as if real troops were being maneuvered.
Once Wu Kui finished deploying his flags, his body stiffened, his expression turning wooden—as though his soul had been drained away.
Ling Feng raised an eyebrow but didn't bother analyzing Wu Kui's formation. In such a short time, memorizing the layout wouldn't help him decipher the tactics anyway.
Ling Feng raised an eyebrow but made no effort to study Wu Ku's troop deployment. With so little time, even memorizing the formation wouldn't help him unravel the tactics behind it. Instead of wasting energy trying to decipher the enemy's plans, he might as well focus on how to best exploit his sheer numbers and overwhelm the opposing side.
Wu Kui had experience.
But Ling Feng had his own trump card—
The Eye of the Emperor!
His unparalleled memory and learning ability were his greatest weapons!
After a moment of contemplation, and under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, Ling Feng planted all the flags in a single location—a flat, open plain with no mountains or rivers in sight.
His entire force of five million troops was stationed on that plain, where they began constructing defensive fortifications.
The terrain offered no clever advantages, but its stability eliminated risks like fire or water-based ambushes.
"Rookie. A complete rookie!"
The generals shook their heads. This wasn't just a beginner's move—it was no strategy at all.
The moment Ling Feng finalized his deployment, his spiritual consciousness was "sucked" into the sand table. Suddenly, it felt as though five million soldiers stood behind him.
No wonder Wu Kui had turned into a statue earlier—the sand table's magic replicated the real weight of command.
The sensation was uncanny, as if he'd truly stepped onto a battlefield.
Around him, troops drilled, banners fluttered, and the cacophony of war cries filled the air. The Tianyang army sprawled across the plain like a black tidal wave, blotting out the land.
Back in the tent, the crowd stirred. As Ling Feng placed his last flag, a golden pillar of light erupted from the sand table, forming a luminous barrier that projected a phantom battlefield.
Forests, hills, plains, and canyons materialized within the glow. Two armies, brimming with killing intent, stood poised for war.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Wu Kui's 2.5 million troops fanned out like a spider's web, weaving through the complex terrain, every position laced with lethal intent.
In stark contrast, Ling Feng's five million were crammed into a single plain—a dense, disorganized mob.
"Stable, yes. But utterly devoid of tactics." Jia Wenhe sighed. "He's exposed his entire force, letting Wu Kui attack at will. Numbers alone might hold for a while, but it's unsustainable."
"Adviser Jia is right. General Ling is clever, but war is an entirely different beast."
"Wu Kui may look like a brute, but he's schemed on battlefields for twenty years. That boy is doomed."
The Despicable Donkey, meanwhile, couldn't care less about the "competition." It lounged at a nearby table, guzzling wine and stuffing its face. Hearing the crowd's predictions, it slammed a wine jar down and brayed:
"Bullshit! That kid's under this divine beast's protection. You think he'd lose?"
The soldiers rolled their eyes. This donkey was as clueless about warfare as its master.
Li Bufan's heart sank as he studied the battlefield. Though only a beginner himself, even he could tell Ling Feng was relying solely on overwhelming numbers.
But war was ever-shifting. Victory was never guaranteed by quantity alone.
"The art of war is deception!"
If sheer numbers decided battles, strategists and tacticians would've been obsolete long ago.
Though opinions varied, one consensus held: No one believed in Ling Feng. His formation was too rigid.
"Responding to change with constancy...?"
Only Han Li's eyes gleamed with interest. "This boy... is intriguing!"
Within the sand table's illusory space.
Ling Feng immersed himself in the simulation. Every soldier moved at his command, as fluidly as his own limbs. This was the true perspective of a commander!
"When it comes to formations, I'm leagues behind Wu Kui. So..."
He rubbed his nose, a plan forming.
"First, I'll familiarize myself with troop control."
Extending his will, Ling Feng directed his five million soldiers to fortify their camp, arranging them into square formations across the plain.
His only advantage was numerical superiority. With zero experience, his best option was to weather Wu Kui's assaults, study his tactics, and adapt.
As Ling Feng was deploying his troops, Wu Ku's army also sprang into action, swiftly forming ranks that resembled a sharp blade poised to pierce straight through Ling Feng's main camp.
Back in the command tent.
The spectators tensed. Deployment was a general's most fundamental skill, revealing their mastery of command at a glance.
"Swift as the wind, steady as a forest, fierce as fire, immovable as a mountain."
A lean general chuckled. "Wu Kui's got real skill."
On the luminous barrier, Wu Kui's 2.5 million troops surged forward like a tidal wave, swallowing half the map in an unstoppable advance!