Chapter 419: and ===GLOSSARY=== sections

All the Profound Heaven Guard soldiers' energy peaked at this moment; the nearby Yellow Turban troops seemed likewise inspired, each filled with fighting spirit.

Upon the Profound Pass Daoist's command, the Taiji Wind and Thunder Formation began to slowly turn.

The Profound Heaven Guard advanced according to the formation's trajectory, their steps wondrously mysterious, as if resonating with heaven and earth.

At this moment, among the Taiping Sect, Qiao Shefei saw the Profound Heaven Guard possess such might, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

He witnessed this elite unit, under the Profound Pass Daoist's command, moving as an extension of his arms, orderly in action, bearing witness to the dignity of the Profound Armor Dao Soldiers and the marvel of the Taiji Wind and Thunder Formation, and could not help but sigh inwardly.

Never did he expect that the Taiping Sect concealed such an elite force.

Yet this surprise vanished instantly, replaced by a deeper scheme.

Qiao Shefei secretly thought: 'These Profound Armor Dao Soldiers and the Taiji Eight Trigrams Formation are indeed a great killer weapon of the Taiping Sect.'

Although he did not know exactly who his superior Meng Zhang was.

But he was certainly not a member of the Taiping Sect.

Therefore, as long as someone is from the Taiping Sect, tripping them up is surely correct!

He glanced around, seeing the commanders still arguing incessantly, yet his heart stirred.

These Taiping Sect commanders guarded against each other, scheming mutually—exactly a weakness he could exploit.

'Brother, look at how imposing that Profound Pass Daoist is; I fear we'll never have a chance to rise again.'

Qiao Shefei quietly moved to a commander's side and whispered.

'That's not right; although the Profound Pass Daoist is formidable, we are not pushovers.'

'In the Taiping Sect, who doesn't know our commanders' merits? If he tries to dominate alone, it won't be so easy.'

The commander, hearing this, furrowed his brows slightly, glanced at Qiao Shefei, pondered a moment, then said.

'Brother, you're absolutely right, but we cannot let our guard down.'

Qiao Shefei secretly rejoiced, knowing he had successfully stirred this commander's displeasure toward the Profound Pass Daoist, and took the opportunity to continue speaking.

These words were like pouring oil on fire, raising that commander's hostility toward the Profound Pass Daoist a notch.

'Brother Qiao, your words are sound; I wonder what clever plan you have?'

The commander's eyes flashed with a hint of meaning, and he nodded.

Qiao Shefei smiled faintly and quietly voiced his plan.

He intended to exploit the suspicion and vigilance among the Taiping Sect commanders, secretly instigating incidents to sow discord, creating conflict between the Profound Pass Daoist and the other commanders.

At the same time, he planned to deliberately create chaos in battle, interfering with the Profound Heaven Guard's formation, thereby weakening its combat strength.

As battle drew near, Qiao Shefei began covertly carrying out his plan.

He skillfully spread rumors among the commanders, stirring discord, causing the Taiping Sect's internal strife to intensify.

Meanwhile, he closely monitored the battlefield's developments, waiting for an opportunity to strike the Profound Heaven Guard.

However, the Profound Pass Daoist was no ordinary figure; he had long sensed the unusual atmosphere within the Taiping Sect.

When arranging the formation, he had already considered possible internal turmoil factors and made special arrangements for the rear of the Profound Heaven Guard.

At this moment, as most of the Taiping Sect's army pressed forward, the martial commanders in their ranks also surged ahead, mounting their horses and whipping them, charging into the battle array.

Their respective cultivated stellar energy had roughly achieved minor success; now they each circulated their inner methods, and variously colored stellar energy radiance rose from their bodies, illuminating the battlefield in a dreamlike splendor.

'Kill!'

A loud shout rang out; a Taiping Sect martial commander, cloaked in crimson stellar energy like flames entwining his body, wielded a long spear and led the charge into the enemy formation.

Where the spear tip pointed, stellar energy surged, and the Cangzhou Army soldiers fled in all directions.

Opposite them, the Cangzhou Army and the heavy infantry legion—the Halberdiers—stood in strict readiness.

Though they were first-rate elites, facing these martial commanders who cultivated stellar energy, they appeared thin.

The Halberdiers, clad in heavy armor, were meant to be moving fortresses on the battlefield, yet now, before the Taiping Sect commanders' stellar energy, they seemed somewhat fragile.

'Hmph! Trivial tricks!'

A Taiping Sect martial commander snorted coldly, his body surrounded by pale blue stellar energy, like surging sea waves.

He brandished his great blade; each flash of sword light sent a Halberdier flying, the heavy armor suffering little, but the flesh within was directly shaken to death.

At this moment, the battle cries shook the heavens.

Among the Yellow Turban forces, the general Zhou Cang, who came with Zhang Jue, wore a black robe, his body encircled by deep purple stellar energy, like a great dragon coiling beside him.

He wielded a long blade; each swing carried the force of wind and thunder, so even the Halberdiers' thick armor could hardly resist his stellar-energy-augmented fierce blade.

Seeing Zhou Cang swing his long blade, a Halberdier was struck down together with his armor, spitting a mouthful of blood in midair, evidently his viscera shattered.

'Good!'

The Taiping Sect soldiers, seeing this, had their morale greatly boosted, and they all shouted encouragement.

Another commander, Guan Hai, wore crimson-gold armor, his body surrounded by golden stellar energy, like a blazing sun in the sky, dazzling and eye‑catching.

He held twin hammers; each strike bore the force of thunderous myriad jun, so even the Halberdiers' solid defense was as fragile as paper before him, shattering in a single blow.

'Hahaha, exhilarating!'

Guan Hai laughed heartily, his fighting spirit overflowing.

On another flank, the commander Bian Xi wore a jade‑green battle robe, his stellar energy showing vibrant vitality, like a spring breeze sweeping over the land.

His long spear was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, supple and swift.

Whenever he thrust his spear, a Halberdier would fall in response; their heavy armor seemed as nothing before his lance.

'Hmph, not worth a single blow!'

Bian Xi snorted coldly, his face showing contempt.

'Form the formation! Form the formation!'

The Cangzhou Army colonels surrounding the Halberdiers shouted loudly, trying to get the soldiers to reorganize their defensive line.

Yet the martial commanders capable of becoming the elite troops in the hands of this Taiping Sect cabal of behind‑the‑scenes manipulators were not far behind in ability.

Where could these Colonels possibly stop it? Their gang qi runs rampant on the battlefield; whether it's the Cangzhou Army or the Halberdiers, none can resist this powerful force.

At this moment, a junior officer of the Taiping Sect especially drew attention.

The gang qi on his body showed a rare silver-white color, as if moonlight had fallen, clear and mysterious.

He wielded double spears; wherever the spear tips pointed, gang qi surged out, forming sharp gang qi blades that were unstoppable; even the Halberdiers in heavy armor found it hard to withstand.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Gang qi crisscrossed and danced; that junior officer with silver-white gang qi was like a deity descending, unstoppable on the battlefield.

And as time passed, the situation on the battlefield became increasingly clear.

The Taiping Sect's officers, relying on their large numbers and strong gang qi, gradually gained the upper hand.

Although the Cangzhou Army and the Halberdiers were brave and skilled in combat, they retreated before these officers who cultivated gang qi.

(End of chapter)