Chapter 805: Infiltration Plan

Midnight.

A brief respite for the Iron Wall Fortress.

The command tower was brightly lit.

Chen Wen, Zhu Yuanzhang, Yue Fei, Xu Da, Zhang Cheng, and Liu Ji sat around the sand table.

The sand table had been updated.

The center showed the Iron Wall Fortress and the surrounding battlefield situation.

To the west lay the terrain and distribution of yin-energy nodes in the Pure State's hinterland.

"General Yue led his troops to destroy three secondary nodes."

"Zhang Cheng pointed to three extinguished light points on the sand table."

"But the regional yin-energy hub's defense is too strong; a direct assault cannot break through."

"The enemy has rallied heavy forces to fall back on defense, forcing General Yue to withdraw."

He paused.

"On the front battlefield, though we temporarily hold, our energy reserves are down to thirty percent."

"Troop casualties have reached two thousand."

"If we continue this war of attrition, we cannot last more than two days."

On the sand table, the purplish-black markers representing the Pure State forces continued to increase.

"The master of the Iron Crow Army is continuously drawing on the Origin Sea reserves."

Chen Wen's voice was calm, yet heavy.

"It does not hesitate to overload system stability, just to swamp us."

"This shows our threat has reached its bottom line."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the massive yin-energy core marker on the sand table located in Pure State's heartland.

That is where the 'Central Capital Main Brain' resides.

It is also the hub of all yin-energy networks.

"Cut off the fuel beneath the cauldron."

He said slowly.

"Continuing to defend here is a dead end."

"We must go there."

He pointed to that core marker.

"Destroy it."

"Or at least, severely damage it."

"Difficult." Yue Fei shook his head.

He had just withdrawn from behind enemy lines, and he knew the situation best.

"Our troops must cross a three-hundred-li area thoroughly polluted and blanketed with yin-energy surveillance."

"Along the way there are at least twelve major and minor nodes, with countless defenders."

"Even if we luckily reach the core, the Iron Crow Army's will must be personally guarding it."

"Going there equals suicide."

"But if we don't go, everyone here will die." Xu Da said in a low voice.

"The difference is only a matter of two days earlier or later."

Everyone fell silent.

Chen Wen closed his eyes, and his rule-based vision unfolded.

He "looked" at the real world represented by the sand table.

The dense network of yin-energy patterns.

The massive energy flow converging toward the Central Capital core.

And… deep within the network, the unstable 'fissures' faintly appearing due to overloaded usage.

"There is a way."

He opened his eyes.

"Not a frontal assault."

"It is infiltration."

"Infiltration?" Liu Ji frowned.

"With such a tight network, how can we infiltrate?"

"By exploiting its overload." Chen Wen pointed to several areas on the sand table where yin-energy fluctuations were abnormal.

"The Iron Crow Army's master has drawn over seventy percent of the Origin Sea reserves, pushing the network load to near its limit."

"In my rule-based vision I saw that some secondary data transmission channels have become unstable."

"Energy monitoring has blind spots."

"Information transmission suffers delays."

He paused.

"More importantly, the network's own 'laws' will produce brief 'logical contradictions' under overload pressure."

"Just like a person handling too many things at once will neglect some for others."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up.

"You mean we can disguise ourselves as a 'legitimate' data stream and mix in?"

This modern-thinking metaphor left Zhang Cheng and the others stunned, but they could roughly understand.

"Similar." Chen Wen nodded.

We need an elite squad.

The numbers should be few, at most ten people.

Equip with the latest potential-energy concealment runes and camouflage devices.

Exploit the surveillance loopholes during network overload to infiltrate the core area.

"Then what?" Yue Fei asked.

"Even if we infiltrate, what can ten people do?"

"Do what we have figured out."

Chen Wen's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Inject 'purification' into the Hidden Energy Core."

"It's not physical destruction; that's impossible."

"It is a 'contamination' at the rule level."

"Use highly concentrated potential energy to strike its energy structure."

"Trigger system collapse."

Gongsun Sheng hurried in at this moment, holding the latest analysis dossier.

"My lord, the deep analysis of the data crystal is complete!"

"We have found the exact coordinates of that 'emergency protocol loophole'!"

"It is on the seventh layer of the energy conversion matrix of the Hidden Energy Core!"

"If we can, under overload mode, inject a specific-frequency potential-energy pulse into those coordinates..."

"Theoretically, this can trigger a chain reaction, causing the core to temporarily paralyze!"

"How long is temporary?" Zhu Yuanzhang immediately asked.

"Uncertain, but model simulations show at least three hours."

Gongsun Sheng said.

"During the core's paralysis, the entire Hidden Energy Network will lose unified coordination."

"The frontline enemy forces will fall into chaos."

"The sustainability of the light curtain may also weaken due to interrupted energy supply."

"That will be the window of opportunity for our full-scale counteroffensive."

"Three hours..." Xu Da calculated.

"Enough to crush the frontline enemy forces, and even... break through the light curtain."

"But the premise is that the squad can successfully infiltrate and complete the injection." Yue Fei remained calm.

"This plan has too many unknowns."

"First, can we accurately locate those coordinates?"

"Second, how much potential energy does the injection require, and can the squad carry enough?"

"Third, how will the squad withdraw after the injection?"

"Fourth, if we fail, we will not only lose ten of our finest warriors, but also expose all our intentions."

"Then let's settle these issues." Zhu Yuanzhang said decisively.

"The coordinate issue requires more precise intelligence. Can we squeeze it out of the captured shaman?"

"The potential-energy transport issue: can the Heavenly Craft Institute produce high-concentration portable crystals?"

"The withdrawal issue... might require internal and external coordination."

"As for failure..."

He looked toward Chen Wen.

"Lord Chen, can your rule-vision provide remote guidance?"

Chen Wen fell silent for a moment.

"We can try to establish a weak link."

"But the distance is too great, the consumption huge, and it is easily detected by the Hidden Energy Network."

"At most, it can only provide a brief guidance at the critical moment."

"Once is enough." Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Life and death have always been a hair's breadth apart."

"Then, the personnel selection." Yue Fei looked at the sand table.

"Ten people."

"They must be the strongest in combat, richest in experience, and firmest in will."

"They must also understand the basics of the Hidden Energy Network."

"I'll go." Xu Da spoke first.

"I am most familiar with Qing army tactics."

"I'll go too." Chang Yuchun's voice came from the doorway.

He had his half shoulder bandaged, but his eyes were sharp as a blade.

"Old Xu alone is not enough."

"Me too." Yue Fei said calmly.

"I am familiar with rear-area warfare."

"No." Chen Wen shook his head.

"General Yue, your wounds have not healed, and the frontline battlefield needs you to command."

"General Xu is the same; the front cannot lack a great general holding the fort."

He looked toward Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Lord Zhu, you cannot go either."

"You are the greatest variable, the primary target of the Iron Crow Army's will."

"If you infiltrate, you will be locked onto immediately."

"Then who will go?" Chang Yuchun urged anxiously.

"I already have someone in mind." Chen Wen said slowly.

"Captain, we need someone who understands battle formations, knows the rules, and whose will can withstand a remote link with me."

He paused.

"General Lin Chong."

Everyone was startled.

Lin Chong had always been in charge of the Northward Aspiration city defenses, steady and taciturn, but his ability is beyond doubt.

More importantly, he is one of the Five Ministers of the Chen Dynasty, and his connection to Chen Wen's power system is the deepest.

"Vice-captain, we need someone familiar with the interior of the Qing state and skilled at covert reconnaissance."

"Zhao Si."

That experienced veteran soldier has repeatedly crossed the rifts for reconnaissance.

"The remaining eight will be selected from the Northward Aspiration Army and the Ming Army as the finest."

"They must be proficient in killing, demolition, disguise, and information decryption."

"The specific list will be jointly drafted by General Yue and General Xu."

"What about the injection device?" Gong Sunsheng asked.

"The Bureau of Heavenly Craftsmanship must produce a portable, high-density power crystal injector within twelve hours."

"Code name 'Breaking-Wall Cone'."

"It must be small enough, stable enough, and able to withstand remote activation commands."

"Twelve hours..." Old Zhao grit his teeth.

"Even if I don't sleep, I will make it!"

"As for intelligence." Liu Ji said.

"I will personally interrogate the shaman, using any means to extract the core area's structural diagram."

"Especially the layout of the energy conversion matrix."

"The plan's timing." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Chen Wen.

"When do we depart?"

"At midnight tomorrow night."

Chen Wen said.

"That is the moment when the nether energy network performs its daily routine data backup, when the load is heaviest and monitoring blind spots are greatest."

"The squad will infiltrate through the seventh point rift, using the weak routes we have mastered to avoid major nodes."

"It is estimated to take two days to reach the outskirts of the core area."

"On the third day at midnight, when the network load again peaks, we will execute the injection."

He looked toward everyone.

"For these three days, the frontline battlefield must be held at all costs."

"At any cost, create sufficient pressure."

"So that the master of the Iron Crow Army has no spare attention."

"To create an opportunity for infiltration."

"Understood." Yue Fei and Xu Da replied simultaneously.

"This plan is code-named 'Piercing the Heart'."

Chen Wen finally said.

"Objective: stab into the enemy's heart."

"For the Breaking-Wall Alliance, to chisel open the first fissure."

Everyone became solemn.

The plan is set.

All that remains is execution.

After the meeting dispersed, Chen Wen remained alone in the command tower.

He walked to the window, gazing toward the western darkness.

In the rule-based vision, the vast nether energy net covering heaven and earth was throbbing violently.

The overloaded patterns were wailing.

Deep within the core, the will of the Iron Crow Army's master lay cold and coiled.

He extended his hand, pressing vaguely toward that direction.

A deep-blue repair program structure slowly turned in his consciousness.

This time, it will take the initiative to strike.

To infect.

Go repair.

Go……end this nightmare that has dragged on too long.

The night wind blows over the city wall.

Carrying the reek of blood and scorched earth.

But beneath this scent.

A faint yet resolute edge is quietly gathering.

Like a needle.

Like an awl.

Like a dagger silently drawn from its sheath in the darkness.

Pointing straight at that dark, beating heart.