Chapter 280
“How will the training be conducted? Li Shaoxia doesn’t seem like someone who has been in the army before,” the hotel owner, a one-armed man, asked curiously.
“You’ll find out tomorrow,” replied Zhong Zhenyue with a grin as he took a sip of his drink.
“Our commander has praised him, saying that if Brother Li were to join the army, he would surely be a valiant general, even more so than what Uncle Qu has ever said about me.”
The soldiers exchanged glances, their expressions growing more serious.
Their commander, Qu, was not one to speak lightly; he was always thoughtful and deliberate. When he spoke, it was usually with utmost confidence.
“I wonder... how much military strength can Brother Li accommodate? Is it more than the young lord?” the one-armed man asked tentatively.
“Accommodate military strength?” Li Mo looked at Zhong Zhenyue.
Zhong Zhenyue explained, “A hundred soldiers form a unit, which is called a ‘fang.’ The strength of the formation is usually reflected in the core of the formation. The stronger the body and spirit of the individual, the more military strength they can accommodate.”
“Right now, with Ling Jie’s assistance, I can accommodate up to four ‘fangs’ at most.”
This was exactly the number of personal guards he had brought from Nanguan City.
Li Mo began to understand.
The power of a military formation was overwhelming, far beyond what an ordinary person could control. To harness the strength of so many individuals through one person, that person’s qualities were of utmost importance.
Those who could accommodate ten ‘fangs’ were already great generals, capable of leading the charge.
Those who could accommodate a hundred ‘fangs’ were known as ‘ten-thousand enemies,’ beings who could traverse the battlefield with ease.
As for the legendary generals of the age... the Dayu Dynasty had them.
Zhen Nan Wang.
Of course, aside from the ‘core,’ it also depended on the quality of the soldiers and the commanding skills of the formation leader.
“If I were to study military formations, I wonder how much military strength I could accommodate...”
“Brother Li can give it a try tomorrow.”
...
A group of rough men became animated, their coarse voices booming, shaking the very rafters of the tavern.
“He should be able to sleep well tonight, right?” Ying Bing thought to herself as she watched the young man blend in effortlessly with the soldiers nearby.
Warriors in the Divine Realm could substitute meditation for sleep.
But unless in urgent situations, they would still take short naps each day to relax their minds.
However, Li Mo hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time.
At that moment, a sleepy child at the next table rubbed his eyes, unable to sleep due to the noise.
His mother, a local woman from the southern region, gently patted his back and softly sang:
“The sky is dark, rain is coming.”
“The sky is dark, dark...”
The local lullaby provided a soothing yet distinct tranquility amidst the clamor, lulling the child into a deep sleep.
The girl’s eyes, reflecting the flickering lights of the night, were soft and serene.
She didn’t consciously remember it.
But the lullaby lingered in her heart...
---
Chapter 303: Does She Understand Military Formations? How Much Military Strength Can He Accommodate?
It started to snow.
The locals often said that the southern region had no spring or autumn, only winter and summer. But this year was particularly unusual; the early winter snow fell early, blanketing the vast Qingmu City in a layer of silver.
A troop of soldiers halted in front of the ‘Jiawei’ tavern, their fierce horses exhaling white mist.
All were warriors, and after a night of heavy drinking, they seemed more spirited in the morning.
“Li Brother!” Zhong Zhenyue called out.
“Coming!”
Li Mo had just finished accommodating the last of his true spirit. The seventy-two transformations now only needed one more:
Wuzhiqi.
This true spirit was even more fierce and unruly than Yazi, perhaps the most difficult to integrate into a divine ability, yet it was also chosen by the Jade Phoenix God.
“I’m heading to the Qingmu camp,” Li Mo announced as he donned his winter attire.
Since morning, Ying Bing had been standing by the window in her white fox fur coat and long feathered dress, gazing south with her mirror-like eyes.
The snow outside seemed to take on a more serene beauty because of her presence.
Hearing Li Mo’s voice, she snapped back to reality:
“I’m going too.”
“Hmm? Is it appropriate for a woman to go to the camp...?”
“I’ve already informed Zhong Ling.”
Li Mo thought she might just be curious, so he went downstairs with her.
Then he realized a problem.
They weren’t taking a carriage today, but there was only one extra horse, and Li Mo had never ridden before.
“Li Brother, don’t you know how to ride?”
“Does riding someone count?”
“???”
Little Li was starting to miss Dong Lai.
Whoosh—
The girl next to him gracefully mounted the saddle, her jade-like left hand gripping the reins, while the other reached out to Li Mo, snowflakes landing softly on her slightly flushed palm.
“Come on up.”
Little Li thought he really needed to find a book on riding.
Even a little martial arts insight would do, anything would help!
Before long, they arrived at the Qingmu camp, where the air was thick with the bloodlust of warriors, warming the atmosphere.
It was still the same training ground as yesterday, the ground freshly tamped down, but it was much livelier today, with all the ten squad leaders present.
On the command platform sat a group of Qingmu City leaders, with Qu Sheng in the main seat, a steaming teacup in hand.
“I’ve studied various martial arts, but I’ve never heard of any that can transform into disaster beasts,” the guard commander Wu Lang frowned and asked.
“I haven’t heard of it either.”
“Even in the inner and outer realms, it shouldn’t be possible, yet this child is definitely not a sixth realm body,” another blue-clad guard commander said, intrigued.
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
Qu Sheng’s gaze fell on the approaching group, who, under the guidance of the personal guards, ascended the command platform.
Li Mo stood on the platform, looking down at the soldiers like a forest of spears, their spirit like a dragon, igniting a sense of heroism within him, his blood surging even in the winter chill.
What a scene it would be if a battle broke out!
They say a man’s valor lies in the battlefield, in achieving great deeds.
Little Li felt a spark of inspiration in this moment.
Turning around, he noticed the various gazes of the generals.
Qu Sheng stood up with a smile, his voice clear:
“Li Shaoxia, all the squad leaders are here. I’ve made my boast; there’s no room for jest in the army.”
His voice echoed throughout the Qingmu camp.
Li Mo had long been prepared and nodded:
“Of course, I’d like to know what kind of disaster beasts the army needs to deal with.”
The generals conferred for a moment and soon reached a consensus.
“Qiongqi tribe.”
“No problem.”
“Should I command as well?” Zhong Ling asked.
Qu Sheng tossed her the command flag from his waist, smiling:
“Besides me, there’s probably no one in the army who can command formations better than you.”
“Commander, you teach well.”
Zhong Ling puffed her chest slightly, her spirited demeanor betraying her pride.
She selected over a hundred squad leaders at the Inner Breath realm, and soon the formation moved under her command, a deadly aura filling the training ground.
With these hundred men, it felt as if she was commanding thousands.
Ying Bing’s tranquil gaze reflected the military might, lost in thought.
At this moment, Zhong Zhenyue, as the core of the offensive formation, blended into the military might, and with his addition, the formation grew even more imposing and unstoppable.
“Once the young lord’s realm rises and he collaborates with Zhong Ling’s formation, our southern region will gain another ten-thousand enemies.”
“But yesterday, this Dugu Qijian Li Shaoxia broke the formation single-handedly.”
“Hmm?”
“Li Shaoxia’s martial arts should be reliable; after all, he’s ranked eleventh on the Qianlong List, so he shouldn’t be boasting.”
As they watched, an ancient and fierce aura began to awaken from Li Mo, causing the generals to sit up straight.
In the next moment.
With a tiger’s roar, Li Mo transformed into a fierce tiger the size of a calf, its fur like steel needles, wings sprouting from its back like heavenly blades.
Gasps of astonishment filled the training ground.
This transformation was so incredible that who could believe it without witnessing it firsthand?
This was no ordinary martial arts!
The aura of Qiongqi, known for preying on others, was palpable, making hearts race!
Qu Sheng pondered for a moment and asked:
“Who do you think will win?”
“A pureblood Qiongqi of the seventh rank wouldn’t be able to withstand this formation, right?”
“Hard to say; just looking at the aura, both sides seem evenly matched.”
“Wow... the young lord, with the help of the formation, is actually only on par in terms of momentum?”
The generals debated, but the situation remained unclear.
Qu Sheng was about to speak.
“Li Mo will win.” The clear voice of the girl cut through the early snow, reaching everyone’s ears.
The command platform fell silent.
Many generals turned to look at Ying Bing, who was brewing tea with snow in her white porcelain cup, their hearts filled with doubt, yet no one dared to approach her with questions.
“Why does she think that?”
“I saw her feeding Li Shaoxia yesterday; what do you think that was about?”
“Oh—~~~”
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