Chapter 446: The Initiative

A large troop of wood spirits surged out from the mountains and forests.

Their numbers far exceeded those of the Divine Might Army warriors brought by Sima Lang—ten times? dozens of times?

Wood spirits swarmed over the mountains and fields, carrying sharp wooden spikes; a light prick on a Divine Might Army soldier would cause the potent anesthetic on the spike to paralyze them completely.

Adding to that, a most evil kind of vine, densely covered with fine, sharp thorns, extremely tough— a single strand as fine as a hair could bear ten thousand catties of force. After soaking these vines in the anesthetic, they were woven into shackles and handcuffs and bound onto the Divine Might Army soldiers.

The fine thorns pressed against the flesh; if they didn't struggle it was fine, but the moment they struggled the thorns pierced the skin, the anesthetic entered the body, and they went limp all over.

The surrendered Divine Might Army soldiers dared not resist and could only let the wood spirits do as they pleased.

Even some hot‑tempered, proud Divine Might Army soldiers wanted to resist, but the instant they showed the slightest sign of defiance, a huge hand of condensed stone would burst from the ground, seize their bodies and slam them violently against the earth.

After hundreds of stalwart men were beaten into serious injury by the earth spirits, the Divine Might Army soldiers present were completely cowed, their spirit and vigor utterly smashed away.

Wu Tie stood outside the camp; hundreds of powerful earth‑spirit experts joined forces, moving the surrounding earth and stone to fill the crater blasted by Pei Feng's main cannon until it was flat and smooth like a great mirror, then used magic to turn the filled earth and stone into a single massive slab of rock.

This became a stretch of level ground nearly a hundred li across; Wu Tie dumped all the weapons and armor seized by the Five Elements Divine Light onto it.

The Divine Might Army is one of the main corps of the Great Jin Divine State and enjoys the best treatment and equipment.

The quality of their weapons and armor surpasses that of the other several main corps by a large margin; ordinary soldiers can use spirit weapons, while officers of colonel rank can be issued triple‑refined spirit weapons or even sextuple‑refined ones.

In the Divine Might Army, colonel‑level officers basically can carry one or two ordinary immortal weapons as personal gear, while senior generals are uniformly equipped with triple‑refined and sextuple‑refined immortal weapons; veterans like the Nine Feathers Commander usually have one or two nine‑times‑refined immortal weapons on them.

The Five Elements Spirits are individually strong, but their two biggest weaknesses are their cultivation method and their equipment.

With Wu Tie's guidance, the Five Elements Spirits finally realized that their sacrificial dance and chant are actually a profound cultivation method, and moreover the one best suited to their innate physiques.

The flaw in the cultivation method has been completely eliminated, so the individual strength of the Five Elements Spirits will keep growing.

As for equipment, Wu Tie is confident he can solve the Five Elements Spirits' equipment problem in a short time—after all, isn't there a huge amount of gear sent by Sima Lang's Divine Might Army right now?

Even if each of the thousands of tower‑ship warships were given the minimum crew of only a few hundred soldiers and sailors, Sima Lang this time also brought millions of elite troops.

A flick of the Five Elements Divine Light laid out millions of sets of fine armor and weapons in neat rows on the plain.

Vast numbers of Five Elements Spirits surged forward, and under the direction of each tribe's warrior chiefs they orderly selected the equipment they could use.

Soon millions of sets of equipment were divided up, a large batch of Five Elements Spirits became armed, and on this mountain ridge the fighting power they could exert far surpassed that of the Divine Might Army soldiers.

After finishing all this, Wu Tie returned to his own camp.

The Greedy Wolf Net still enshrouded the camp, but without Sima Lang's command it merely writhed slowly and did not launch an attack.

Wu Tie's five‑colored brilliance flared behind him; he gave the Greedy Wolf Net, which covered a radius of a hundred li, a heavy sweep, and a low moan came from within the net as the dark‑green Greedy Wolf Net vanished.

In the next instant, Wu Tie's brilliance flickered; the Greedy Wolf Net, stripped of all soul‑binding restrictions by the Five Elements Divine Light, returned to its original form—a fist‑sized clump of sticky, intense dark‑green light that clung to Wu Tie's palm.

The Greedy Wolf Net's true body is heavy and viscous, like a living blob of water, slowly writhing in Wu Tie's palm and slowly flowing between his fingers.

Wu Tie smiled and waved at Pei Feng standing on the city wall, then flicked his hand and tossed the Greedy Wolf Net toward Pei Feng.

"Pei Feng, army commander, you've worked hard this time. Well, the Black Phoenix Army has suffered considerable losses—consider this Greedy Wolf Net as compensation!"

Pointing to the Divine Might Army soldiers bound tight by the wood spirits and lying neatly on the ground like rows of corpses outside the city, Wu Tie said coldly, "The brothers of the Black Phoenix Army have suffered many casualties; just pick a batch from these fellows to replenish the Black Phoenix Army."

"And don't talk to them about camaraderie; first treat them as prisoner‑slaves, directly seal their souls, apply the restrictions, and then speak. Once they have earned enough merit for the Black Phoenix Army, restore their status as fighting soldiers and formally enroll them in the Black Phoenix Army."

Pei Feng grasped the Greedy Wolf Net, tossed it casually onto his waist belt, letting a small portion of its true body show, and hung it there.

Lightly leaping down from the city wall, Pei Feng frowned and asked Wu Tie, "The Divine Might Army's background is too great; incorporating their people into the Black Phoenix Army…"

Wu Tie replied coldly, "Do it covertly—seal the souls of these fellows so they dare not talk nonsense. Also, give the military department a little face: you and I, plus Li Qian of the Criminal Law Bureau, are our own people; we'll each send a document to the military department saying…"

He raised his head and sighed: "Just say that Sima Lang colluded with rebels, led troops to besiege Sima Yu and other clansmen, plotting to harm the clansmen and sabotage the military department's plan to open a secret passage."

"Sima Lang is arrogant, his military power overwhelming; wherever his spear points, none can withstand it. The Black Phoenix Army and the Great Marsh Prefecture Army have suffered heavy losses; ten thousand troops of the military department's central hall dare not go out, defy orders, and encamp for self‑preservation—they deserve death."

"When Sima Yu and other clansmen were gravely injured and the Black Phoenix Army and Great Marsh Prefecture Army were about to be wiped out, the local Five Elements Spirits populace, admiring our Great Jin Divine Might, had their tribal elder, who understood the great righteousness, lead the people in a massive rescue—shattering the rebel forces and rebel army in one strike…"

"That's roughly the gist and tone. We three need to coordinate well, making our statements broadly similar but not identical. Hmm, as for the minor irrelevant details, it's best that we each have one or two points that are vague and unclear."

"Only then will the information we three send back appear truthful and genuine."

Pei Feng stared fixedly at Wu Tie; the black in her eyes revealed no emotion. She asked coldly, "You, me, Li Qian—even if we three send the documents, the military department will still have people who won't let up, given Sima Lang's lofty status in the Divine Might Army and his web of connections…"

"So we still need other evidence." Wu Tie said coldly, "Where's Li Er Haozi? Is he dead? Get out here!"

Li Er Haozi, missing an arm, staggered over, sobbing as he reached Wu Tie's face and knelt heavily at his feet: "Sir… our brothers died so miserably… so many… just like that…"

Wu Tie kicked Li Er Haozi in the chest, snarling, "Stop the blubbering—did your father die or your mother die? Find a few ruthless brothers; no matter what means you use, I want at least ten commanders in the Divine Might Army to give statements accusing Sima Lang of plotting rebellion, murdering clansmen, attacking friendly troops, and sabotaging the military department's plan."

"You've suffered losses and been beaten? I'll give you a chance to get revenge." Wu Tie said coldly, "Go, hurry up and work—stop crying and wailing here."

Li Er Haozi's gaunt face twisted instantly; a ferocious aura burst out: "Sir, rest assured, our brothers will squeeze every drop of marrow oil from them. Hey, hey, congratulations, sir—you've been promoted, right?"

Having spent some time in the Great Marsh Prefecture Army, Li Er Haozi knows a thing or two about the Great Jin aristocracy.

The set of suddenly appearing light‑purple robes on Wu Tie is no ordinary garment—it's a marquis‑style robe!

"Eh, you couldn't have been a thief before, could you? Those eyes of yours are pretty bright!" Wu Tie laughed, patted Li Er Haozi on the shoulder, then kicked him: "Get lost, hurry up and interrogate for statements—the more statements you get, the better."

Li Er Haozi, wearing a twisted grin, eagerly went off to find his gang of drinking buddies.

Soon, the stout men of the Great Marsh Prefecture Army clenched their fists and palms, rushed out of the camp, bowed their heads wildly in Wu Tie's direction, then charged like tigers at the captured Divine Might Army commanders.

If you wanted them to fight head‑on, these fellows are all softies.

But bullying these Divine Might Army commanders who can't fight back makes these fellows turn into wolves and tigers, their spirit soaring.

Engaging in looting, striking the fallen, feigning tiger might, relying on others' power—Li Er Haozi and his ilk are experts at this; no one is better suited for such work than they are.

The surrounding mountains let out a low rumble as peak after peak awoke from sleep.

A group of the strongest earth‑spirit experts from the earth‑spirit tribe slipped into the mountains, turning the great mountains into extensions of their own bodies; the mountains writhed and slowly rose as stone giants.

Hundreds of stone giants stepped forward with thunderous tread, approaching the camp of Sima Yu and others and encircling it completely.

In the surrounding forests, countless wood spirits held strong bows, ready to fire.

In the big and small rivers flowing past Sima Yu's camp, countless water spirits poked their heads out, their eyes flickering with faint azure light, staring fixedly at the camp.

Inside the camp, the antique‑grade weapons and armor hung as ornaments per Sima Yu's orders occasionally emitted a low "clang‑clang" sound.

These metal weapons and armor became the best escape routes for the metal spirits; in the polished, mirror‑like shields one could see the metal spirits flashing by.

Throughout the camp, oil lamps hung and torches burned; their flames pulsed like a heart, expanding and contracting, and amid the crackling, eager laughter that continually rose from the jumping flames, large numbers of fire spirits sneaked into the camp, hid in the fire, and could at any moment unleash a powerful attack on anyone inside.

The injuries of Sima You and the others were much lighter than Sima Lang's; although their realms also fell and their souls suffered heavy wounds, they could barely prop up their bodies, muster their spirits, and issue orders in the camp.

They couldn't think of any good plan, merely continuously ordering their finest troops to rush over, tightly surrounding the pavilion where they were hiding.

Tens of thousands of elite troops encircled their pavilion to the point of being watertight, yet this still did not give them much sense of security.

The Pivotal Hall's hundred thousand elite troops cautiously and tentatively launched two breakout attempts from outside the camp. But if they stayed still it was fine; once they moved, a sky-full of arrows rained down, 'thud-thud-thud-thud' pinning the camp like a hedgehog, and moreover several thousand Pivotal Hall elites were shot through like sieves, with no chance to return to the camp.

"These damned…… lowly bastards…… what do they want?" Sima You jumped up and down, hysterical, shouting: "What's going on? What on earth is happening? Who wounded us just now? And also, these damned foreign tribes, what do they…… want…… to do?"

Sima Xin, Sima Hu, and the others turned deathly pale, each curling up in their chairs, silent.

This place is far from the heartland of Great Jin; without a treasure like the Myriad-mile Heavenly Mechanism Mirror, it is utterly impossible to contact their main family's elders.

Even seeking help from Peaceful Yang is impossible for them; the information simply cannot get through.

And a treasure like the Myriad-mile Heavenly Mechanism Mirror— Sima Lang surely has one on him— yet they, whom the main family regards as spoiled good-for-nothings, how could the main family possibly issue them such a treasure?

Faced with countless enemies from all directions, Sima You and the others fell into utter despair.

Suddenly, Sima Xin exploded, jumping up and down as he shouted: "It's all Sima Lang's fault— what's the point of him messing around with all this junk? I, I, I……"

Sima Hu wore a grim face, fiercely slapping the armrest of the big chair: "Sima Lang, I really want to stab him to death…… this bastard, over a woman, is it worth it? Huh? Over a woman, is it worth it?"

Sima You then screamed: "Stop talking about irrelevant nonsense…… whether it's Sima Lang or that woman, who can tell me what's going on now? Huh? Where did all these foreign tribes come from, and how did that Huo Xiong get mixed up with these people?"

Inside the pavilion, an oil lamp suddenly burst into a great sheet of firelight; Wu Tie, accompanied by Lao Tie, and more than a dozen solemn fire essences strode out from the flames.

Sima You and the others screamed in fright, the dozens of guards surrounding them all drew their weapons, and Wu Tie's Five Elements Divine Light swept over them— the guards' weapons and armor vanished without a trace, each left only with a close-fitting undergarment.

"Gentlemen…… heh, do you know who Huo Xiong is?" Wu Tie walked over to a big chair, grabbed Sima Hu who was sitting there, and casually threw him seven or eight zhang away, then sat down in a relaxed, at-ease manner.

"Now, I'm giving everyone a chance to get promoted and make a fortune— don't say you don't want it!" Wu Tie laughed especially brightly: "Of course, the opportunity isn't free— you have to join me in denouncing Sima Lang as a rebel, a wolf with ambition, plotting to overthrow Great Jin."

Sima You and the others stared blankly; Sima Xin muttered: "Your words— could anyone believe them?"

Wu Tie looked at Sima Xin with a smile: "I don't care whether they believe it or not; anyway, we've all got our story straight— who would go to great lengths for a crippled Sima Lang and cause trouble for so many of us?"

Wu Tie shook out his sleeves and said with a laugh: "Take a look, take a look at this brand-new robe of mine."

The gazes of Sima You, Sima Xin, Sima Hu, and the others finally gathered on the marquis robe Wu Tie wore; they all jumped up in shock, simultaneously sucking in a cold breath.

"Someone stands behind me…… this set of robes was delivered in less than a quarter of an hour." Wu Tie held up the unknown thick leg he was hugging and said: "From now on, I will be in charge of opening secret passages, and I will allocate all your resources."

"As for the rest, you gentlemen just eat, drink, and have fun, then get promoted and make a fortune."

"Alright, the matter is thus decided, happily decided. Anyway, if you don't agree, just go die! No problem?"