Wu Kui was truly a battle-hardened veteran. Across the complex terrain, his Tianbai forces had laid countless deadly ambushes—like a massive killing net. The moment Ling Feng's troops stepped into the trap, they would be annihilated instantly, crushed like withered weeds.
"That old fox Wu Kui might seem crude normally, but he's an exceptional commander. Look at this deployment—spreading over two million troops flawlessly across the terrain. Every unit is positioned with precision, five paces a sentry, ten paces a post, front and rear perfectly coordinated. This formation is practically impregnable."
A general nodded in admiration.
Jia Wenhe also gave a slight nod. When facing superior numbers, Wu Kui's arrangement was indeed impeccable.
"This must be Old Wu's signature 'Heaven's Net Annihilation Formation.' He's used this very tactic to achieve countless military merits over the years! Who'd have thought he'd pull out his trump card against a greenhorn like Ling Feng?"
Another dark-faced general, clearly familiar with Wu Kui's methods, immediately recognized the formation.
The strength of this tactic lay in its interconnectedness—like a spider's web, where struggling only entangled the prey further. Once caught, escape was nearly impossible.
"I wonder how General Ling will counter this."
All eyes turned to Ling Feng's forces. On the vast plain, the five million Tianyang troops were in complete disarray—a tangled mess without any discernible order.
If one had to describe it, it resembled a crude square formation, but so haphazardly arranged that it barely qualified. It seemed Ling Feng was still figuring out how to even organize such a massive army.
Five million was no small number. With zero battlefield experience, his initial clumsiness was understandable.
All that effort, and he still managed to turn a trained army into a bunch of headless chickens.
Jia Wenhe and the other officers stared in disbelief. With such poor troop control, Wu Kui could probably wipe out Ling Feng's forces while keeping his own casualties minimal.
Far from awe-inspiring, Ling Feng's "formation" made the entire army seem more like scattered survivors than elite soldiers.
Li Bufan's frown deepened. At this rate, Ling Feng was about to hand over his hard-earned military honor points on a silver platter.
Even Han Li, the Commander-in-Chief of Three Armies, couldn't help but furrow his brows.
Ling Feng's performance was... embarrassing. A far cry from the confidence he'd displayed earlier.
However, Ling Feng's monstrous comprehension soon kicked in. Though chaotic at first, he gradually began grasping the basics, and the army's disorder lessened.
The five million troops now formed five large square formations, with Ling Feng's command tent in the center, surrounded by four square formations positioned in each direction.
Still simplistic, but at least it resembled a proper army now.
By this time, Wu Kui's scouts had fully mapped Ling Feng's positions. Dozens of black-armored observers stood atop a slope, silently studying the Tianyang forces on the plain.
He'd assumed Ling Feng's earlier confidence meant some level of competence. But this disorganized mess suggested zero talent for command.
"Is this... some kind of feint?"
Wu Kui's suspicion grew. He'd laid his deadly Heaven's Net, yet the enemy wasn't even advancing—just sitting there with this laughable "formation."
It was practically an open invitation!
With a wave of his command flag, Wu Kui dispatched a 300-strong strike team. They tore through Ling Feng's right flank, eliminating over a thousand Tianyang troops before withdrawing unscathed.
Effortless. Absolutely effortless.
Ling Feng, still familiarizing himself with troop control, hadn't even reacted in time.
After the raid, Ling Feng merely observed the retreating Tianbai soldiers without pursuit. Instead, he reinforced his right flank's defenses, establishing watchposts to prevent further ambushes.
His priority was protecting the command tent. Chasing would only invite greater losses.
Seeing no retaliation, Wu Kui grew bolder. Another 300-strong team struck the left flank, again claiming a thousand casualties without resistance.
Ling Feng remained unfazed, continuing to adjust the formations. This time, he positioned heavy foot soldiers on the perimeter, forming shield walls and even laying caltrops[1] to deter cavalry charges.
Right now, Ling Feng wasn't rushing. With five million troops, Wu Kui's skirmishes were just free training. Once he mastered formations and unit synergies, he'd launch his counterattack.
"What's this brat scheming?"
After eliminating two thousand enemies, Wu Kui grew wary. Based on Ling Feng's current performance, a full assault with two million troops could end this quickly.
But... was it really that simple?
Remembering Ling Feng's fearless challenge earlier, Wu Kui hesitated. He refused to believe a Tianwei Academy elite could be this incompetent—leaving everything exposed for easy picking.
"He must have traps. Probably trying to bait me into overextending. Hmph! I won't fall for it!"
Abandoning the decisive strike, Wu Kui didn't realize Ling Feng truly had no schemes—he was just fumbling through trial and error.
As the art of war teaches: Appear weak when strong, strong when weak.
Wu Kui, well-versed in strategy, ironically missed his best chance due to overthinking.
Still, he wasn't idle. If neither side moved, how would the battle conclude?
With another command, hundreds of elite heavy beast cavalry emerged from mountains, forests, and ravines. Mounted on high-tier demonic beasts, these units could trample caltrops and smash through shield walls with ease.
The Tianbai army's finest—each rider represented significant investment.
Three thousand such cavalry assembled, their momentum overwhelming.
In moments, they charged down the slopes toward Ling Feng's camp like a raging tide!
1. a defensive weapon typically consisting of four sharp points or spikes arranged around a base ☜