Chapter 197: Just Think Like That, and You

On the front of Eme'er Sacred Mountain, a vast army was approaching.

This left the Snow Eagle tribe's city defenders stunned—was this truly the Tian Ce Dynasty's army?

For yesterday, this army had decisively defeated Wang Ting's 200,000 allied forces, their momentum surging, their aura brimming with slaughter.

The remnants of the defeated allied army had retreated to Sacred Shancheng, and the news had naturally spread throughout the city.

Now, with the enemy so powerful, the Snow Eagle tribe's defenders were filled with dread.

At this moment, the Snow Eagle tribe's general, Altai, was boosting morale on the city walls.

Altai had spent years leading troops in battle; he knew exactly what to say at such a time.

Seeing the Tian Ce Dynasty's army halt without launching an immediate assault, he declared: "Brothers, see that? Even the Tian Ce Dynasty's army fears our Sacred Shancheng! Sacred Shancheng is the number one fortress under heaven! One man holding the pass can stop ten thousand!"

Hearing this, the Snow Eagle tribe's soldiers began to regain their spirit.

They thought: yes, even if the Tian Ce Dynasty's army was formidable, they were defending behind a fortified wall.

Besides, this was an uphill climb—the enemy soldiers would exhaust themselves just climbing up.

And they had the mighty city-protection array, plus countless elite warriors from their clan—what was there to fear?

Seeing their morale rise, Altai continued: "The Tian Ce Dynasty's army has marched a great distance to reach this place; their supplies must be scarce, and their supply lines cannot sustain them."

If they held the city and found a way to sever the Tian Ce Dynasty's supply lines, the enemy army would starve to death by the half—then, when they charged out, they could annihilate the Tian Ce army and write history, achieving eternal glory!

As he spoke, not only did the Snow Eagle soldiers grow excited, but Altai himself became impassioned.

If this were to happen, it would be perfect.

Watching his soldiers regain their fighting spirit, Altai gazed far into the distance from atop Sacred Shancheng's gate.

The more he looked, the more he regretted it—if the Bear Clan's chieftain, Shatu, hadn't wasted his 200,000 troops as a decoy and instead deployed them as a surprise strike force, this could have been the turning point.

Altai had already ordered surrounding tribes to gather hidden forces to cut off the Tian Ce Dynasty's supply lines.

But Altai knew this was merely self-deception—the Tian Ce Dynasty's army, having conquered territory and seized vast supplies along the way, wouldn't starve anytime soon.

Most importantly, Khan Tuoba Zhen was not in Sacred Shancheng—that was the real reason the troops' morale was low.

Tuoba Zhen was the Snow Eagle tribe's faith; with him present, every soldier felt invincible.

Altai could only do his best to stabilize the troops' emotions and wait for Tuoba Zhen's return.

Tuoba Zhen had indeed misjudged—he believed Biyou Biyou Tianzun's array could hold back the Tian Ce army for some time.

Even if he failed, he would find a way to notify Tuoba Zhen.

Who knew Biyou Biyou Tianzun had simply surrendered without even telling him what had happened.

Tuoba Zhen could not track Li Chen's movements at all times, just as Li Chen did not know Tuoba Zhen was no longer in Sacred Shancheng.

Tuoba Zhen was racing back as fast as he could, while Li Chen's army had already arrived at the foot of Sacred Shancheng.

Before them stood the towering Sacred Mountain, thousands of meters high—a true mountain range.

The surrounding area was blanketed in snow, rich with spiritual energy—perfect for building a fortress and cultivating.

The Snow Eagle tribe's city was not built with unmelting ice, but with special, extremely durable rock—so methods used against unmelting ice would be useless.

The Snow Eagle tribe's greatest advantage was that their soldiers had received the blessing of the Snow Leopard God, granting them strong regenerative abilities.

Not as extreme as Tuoba Zhen's, but still formidable.

In truth, the Snow Leopard God's sacred blood ritual simply meant receiving one drop of the Snow Leopard God's blood.

The Snow Leopard God's blessing meant collecting its excrement, boiling it, and making the soldiers eat it.

No matter who they were, people always painted these things in glowing terms, making them seem desirable.

You couldn't just say it outright—few were as crude as Xu Xu Zifeng.

But truth be told, due to the Snow Leopard God's unique physiology, those who gained its "fortune" also gained powerful regenerative abilities.

Just as Biyou Biyou Tianzun had explained to Li Chen how Tuoba Zhen achieved immortality.

In truth, Biyou Biyou Tianzun didn't know the specifics—it was merely what Tuoba Zhen claimed, and Biyou Biyou Tianzun had no way to verify it with the Snow Leopard God.

The Snow Leopard God was extremely mysterious in the north; not just anyone could see it.

Only those with sufficient fortune could catch a glimpse of its true form.

Outside the towering Sacred Shancheng, the Tian Ce Dynasty forces began to challenge them.

But the Snow Eagle tribe offered no response—anyone not a fool dared not sortie to fight.

The memory of yesterday's 200,000 troops being wiped out was still fresh.

The Tian Ce Dynasty's northern army, whether in horse breeding, weapon configuration, soldier training, or Xiemai Array cultivation, had been prepared specifically to fight Wang Ting.

So the commander of Sacred Shancheng refused to engage, daring the Tian Ce army to come up if they dared.

Then came the usual routine: insults exchanged between the two armies.

The attackers taunted the defenders to come out and fight, not hide like cowards.

The defenders retorted: stop talking nonsense, come climb up if you dare.

Li Chen was curious—wasn't Tuoba Zhen famed for his bravery and martial skill? Why wasn't he showing up? Was he plotting something?

This was a perfect opportunity—if it were overturned, someone could become legendary, achieving unparalleled glory.

Li Chen was extremely cautious; when a general had just requested permission to lead troops up the slope to clear the way for the main army, Li Chen refused, telling him to remain calm.

Even with little military experience, Li Chen could see at a glance: this was an uphill assault, the Tian Ce army was being baited, the enemy held a high fortress, arrays, and multiple defenses—all waiting for the attackers to come.

Even if they succeeded, the losses would be enormous.

Li Chen always preferred overwhelming victories; he disliked prolonged, grueling battles.

He ordered his troops to first set up camp and observe for a while.

In fact, even if he hadn't given the order, Guo Guo Poyun would have immediately suggested it.

As commander-in-chief, Sacred Shancheng was now an unknown variable for the Tian Ce army—they had to investigate thoroughly: where were the weak points? What was the defense strength? What were the structure and mechanisms of the enemy's array and Xiemai Array?

Charging in without knowing anything would lead to disaster.

But seeing Li Chen voice this himself, Guo Guo Poyun felt deeply relieved.

A general feared a monarch who was reckless and ambitious, commanding troops based on personal whim and shallow understanding, dragging the army into peril and allowing the enemy to win against overwhelming odds.

Such rulers were forever nailed to the pillar of shame.

Li Chen had arrived in the north with no particularly brilliant tactics, yet Guo Guo Poyun felt that a monarch who didn't cause chaos was a sage ruler of the age.

The more critical the moment, the more Guo Guo Poyun knew he must not overpraise Li Chen—if he flattered him too much, even a sure victory might turn to disaster.

Following Li Chen's instructions, Guo Guo Poyun selected a suitable location to set up camp.

Choosing such a position required care, for they were now deep in enemy territory and could not allow Wang Ting's cavalry to strike them.

If cavalry broke in, they could kill ten with one.

Patrols and other arrangements were also Guo Guo Poyun's responsibilities.

But it wasn't very troublesome—the Tian Ce Dynasty's officers were all highly professional; he only needed to give a few orders, and his subordinates immediately got to work.

Inside the central command tent, officers were debating strategies to break the enemy.

Li Chen said nothing, merely watching them discuss.

At first, Li Chen had thought military campaigns were complicated.

But now he saw it was just that.

In his view, these matters were best left to his subordinates—like court sessions, where ministers debated, analyzed tactics, and even added suggestions.

Li Chen saw himself merely as a leader; he didn't need to handle every small task or think of every detail himself.

He kept so many subordinates precisely so they could do the work.

All he needed to do was listen and summarize—just don't be arrogant.

This place was like a small imperial court; below, the debate raged. If Li Chen didn't want the trouble, he could use the blame-shifting tactic and ask Guo Guo Poyun how to handle it.

Just like during morning court, whenever he was too lazy to think, he'd leave it to Chancellor Zhao Zhao Wenyuan.

Ultimately, Guo Guo Poyun and Zhao Zhao Wenyuan had reached their positions because of their solid experience and abilities—they were veteran ministers who had served the former emperor and had verifiable achievements.

Li Chen simply felt he'd done something casual—letting his people use their abilities.

But to Guo Guo Poyun, this was the mark of a sage ruler!

Especially now, with the enemy's main city under siege—what emperor wouldn't want to achieve unparalleled glory?

Just thinking like that, one would inevitably come up with some flashy, reckless maneuver.

Such flashy maneuvers often ended up killing oneself and destroying the army.

At such a moment, Li Chen still listened to his ministers' advice and asked for their opinions—Guo Guo Poyun nearly wept, feeling Li Chen was truly great.

At this moment, Guo Guo Poyun was certain: Li Chen was undoubtedly a sage ruler, rare in a thousand years!

In truth, Li Chen was just lazy and didn't want to work.

If you can solve it, solve it yourselves—I'll step in only if you can't.

!

After hours of discussion in the central command tent, a plan was finalized.

Guo Guo Poyun decided to send Liu Hao and Li Ling each with a separate force to continue challenging the enemy, drawing the main force of Sacred Shancheng's attention.

Then Guo Guo Poyun ordered reconnaissance units familiar with arrays and terrain to infiltrate the surrounding area for investigation.

As a sect elder, Master Wanfeng True Person naturally volunteered for the mission—he was a well-rounded cultivator with solid knowledge of arrays; his involvement made Guo Guo Poyun feel confident.

With Li Chen stationed in the central command tent, the situation was guaranteed to be stable.

Wu Wu Laoyezi and Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi also volunteered to assist Master Wanfeng True Person in the investigation.

According to Master Wanfeng True Person, if necessary, the three of them could directly dismantle the array and deliver a surprise to the Snow Eagle Wang Ting.

This bold declaration earned enthusiastic cheers from the officers in the command tent.

Once the array was broken, Guo Guo Poyun would prepare siege equipment based on Sacred Shancheng's height, troop deployment, and other factors.

Right now, the most important thing is to find out what Tuoba Zhen is up to—whether he's planning some kind of move.

Tuoba Zhen has not shown up at all, and Guo Guo Poyun has no idea what he's planning.

Before even arriving, Guo Guo Poyun had thoroughly investigated the records of every single commander in the Snow Eagle Wang Ting.

Yes, every single commander.

Anyone who can command three armies must have real skill.

He didn't want to lose the northern campaign due to underestimating the enemy.

Just like Zhao Zhao Wenyuan, the head of the civil officials, who knew the dossiers of nearly all court officials, capital bureaucrats, and regional governors by heart.

Guo Guo Poyun took this northern campaign seriously and had conducted detailed investigations into Tuoba Zhen's background.

From Tuoba Zhen's first battlefield appearance to the present, Guo Guo Poyun had analyzed every record step by step.

At the time, Guo Guo Poyun's deputy commander thought the Grand General was overestimating Tuoba Zhen—was it really necessary to go through such painstaking analysis?

By the time Tuoba Zhen was born, General Guo had already been leading troops into battle—how could his experience possibly compare?

Upon hearing this, Guo Guo Poyun immediately replied seriously: Underestimating any opponent is the beginning of defeat.

Only by fully understanding Tuoba Zhen can you judge from his battle records what tactics he prefers—how he acts when outnumbered, and how he handles being outmatched.

That way, you can simulate his thinking during battle and be prepared for anything.

Guo Guo Poyun didn't earn his reputation as a legendary general of the Tian Ce Dynasty by accident.

At his age, his vast experience should have made him arrogant, enough to handle any sudden problem—but the older he got, the more cautious he became.

Thus, Guo Guo Poyun deduced that in situations where he was outnumbered, Tuoba Zhen would use a "decapitation" tactic.

Tuoba Zhen's combat strength was extraordinarily formidable; since his debut, he could be described as invincible and undefeated.

In outnumbered situations, killing the enemy's core commander would shatter their morale, while boosting his own troops' confidence—making them fight tenfold harder and overcome the odds.

According to Tuoba Zhen's records, he would likely use battlefield taunts and midnight surprise attacks to maximize the effectiveness of his "decapitation" tactic.

In the past, Guo Guo Poyun himself had been the supreme commander and core figure of the army—he had to guard his safety, for if he died, the northern forces would collapse into chaos.

So Guo Guo Poyun never appeared on the front lines, and even the location of his main camp was a secret.

Secrecy during battle was crucial.

But now it was different—Li Chen's arrival made him unquestionably the pillar holding up the Tian Ce Dynasty's northern army.

Li Chen would undoubtedly be the target Tuoba Zhen wanted to eliminate.

What puzzled Guo Guo Poyun was why Tuoba Zhen hadn't shown up during today's battlefield taunts.

Was he unsure he could defeat Li Chen in open combat, and instead planning a midnight ambush?

Either way, Guo Guo Poyun passed this suspicion on to Li Chen and warned him to stay alert.

Li Chen had also researched Tuoba Zhen's dossier.

Combined with the Biyou Law, Tuoba Zhen's strength far surpassed his own—he didn't know exactly how much stronger, and since they'd never fought to the death, their true cards remained hidden.

Given Tuoba Zhen's ability to regenerate and never truly die, Li Chen naturally didn't take him lightly—he had always been cautious.

On this northern campaign, his "Hundred Treasures Bag" carried many items specifically prepared for Tuoba Zhen.

Hearing Guo Guo Poyun's words, since no assault would happen today, Li Chen planned to set up several arrays before nightfall.

If Tuoba Zhen dared to come, he'd never leave alive.

Battle lines weren't a game—after sufficient discussion, under Guo Guo Poyun's command, everyone bowed and exited the command tent.

Liu Hao, Li Ling, and the destiny-born Chen Qiluo Xuan came with their troops to the foot of Shengshan City.

It must be said, both Liu Hao and Li Ling wanted to be the first to scale the walls.

Whoever achieved that would return with titles, noble ranks, high office, and rich rewards.

Due to their rivalry, they had gotten to know each other—nothing close to friendship, but they could at least call each other by name.

Chen Qiluo Xuan, in his past life a Saint Realm Master, understood arrays well—he came first to scout, see if he could find a weakness; if he discovered a way to break the enemy, it would surely add to Li Ling's battlefield merits.

When they arrived, their opponent on the city wall was their old rival Altai.

Liu Hao ordered his soldiers to shout insults—but was met with arrows and rolling stones.

After confirming the enemy's range, Liu Hao continued today's taunting—without Guo Guo Poyun's orders, he dared not lead an assault.

Liu Hao was just puzzled: as deputy commander of the vanguard, where was the vanguard's main general?

Still, he was grateful Xu Xu Zifeng had acted recklessly—without Xu Xu Zifeng around, Liu Hao could claim plenty of battlefield merit.

At night, having found nothing, Liu Hao led his troops back to camp; Li Ling stayed behind, pretending to be a decoy force—this was their prearranged tactic.

At this moment, Tian Ce Dynasty's reconnaissance units and sect experts were beginning to probe Shengshan City's arrays and internal conditions.

The Saint Realm squad led by Wan Feng Zhen had arrived near Shengshan City.

After observing for a while, Wan Feng Zhen spoke: "To activate such a massive array, something powerful must sustain it—the best method is to infiltrate and destroy that sustaining treasure; then the array will collapse."

Actually, there was another way to break the array: counter-array with array.

But this was a vast city, not a sect like the Tianlang Sect—Wan Feng Zhen, even if confident, knew he and his two companions couldn't possibly summon an array larger than this one.

To counter-array, you must first understand the enemy array to effectively neutralize it.

That couldn't be figured out in a moment, so Wan Feng Zhen proposed the more practical solution.

But how to infiltrate became the key.

First, you had to find the array's entry point—the place where people could pass in and out.

Wan Feng Zhen remembered: according to Guo Guo Poyun's guess, if Tuoba Zhen planned to ambush Li Chen at night, he'd have to exit from within Shengshan City.

So Wan Feng Zhen decided his course of action: they would search nearby for likely exit points, wait for Tuoba Zhen's force to depart, and when the array opened to let them through, they'd slip in and destroy it by force.

Three Saint Realm experts working together—Wan Feng Zhen was extremely confident.

He even considered whether they should just kill Tuoba Zhen outright!

(End of Chapter)