Chapter 843: New Method of Excavation

The arrival of the main Wu army forced Little Wei Yuan to mobilize all of Qingming's resources; every human, material, and output was redirected toward the impending decisive battle. The sudden, massive casualties had also generated countless follow-up problems, and now the main Wu army was advancing with terrifying speed, leaving Little Wei Yuan no time to recover the bodies.

Vast amounts of data flowed into Renjian Renjian Yanhuo, then split into countless tasks distributed across the front. Little Wei Yuan's numerous incarnations raced tirelessly; fortunately, Renjian Renjian Yanhuo had deployed arrays at many key locations, allowing cultivators there to receive information and complete tasks directly.

Little Wei Yuan remained on the front lines, gazing at the vast sea of emerald military aura in the distance. Yu Yu Zhizhuo stood beside him and sighed: "It's impossible—we won't make it in time. We can only fortify key areas; there's no time to dig full trench systems. The time is too short—you need to give me at least twelve more hours!"

Little Wei Yuan suddenly said: "Dawn is coming."

Yu Yu Zhizhuo froze, not understanding what Little Wei Yuan meant.

"The Wu won't attack much during daylight. They're exhausted from their long march—they're preparing to rest for a day before fighting again."

Yu Yu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up: "Then I'll build a complete trench line!"

"Fine."

"What if the Wu attack?"

"I'll lead the troops to hold them off in front and buy you enough time. How long do you need?"

"Twelve hours? No—ten hours will be enough!"

Both sides immediately set to work. Yu Yu Zhizhuo received maximum emergency authority: he could mobilize all personnel and resources within the realm, except those directly commanded by Little Wei Yuan.

Little Wei Yuan led his troops to form ranks and set up camp behind the ruined defenses. The ruins were uneven—soft earth, hidden shards of weapons. This was the best terrain Little Wei Yuan could temporarily exploit.

The Wu were not idle; their camp bustled with activity as countless slave laborers were whipped into frantic work, repairing the blasted encampment. Then, suddenly, a battle report surfaced in Renjian Renjian Yanhuo.

During this great war, reports from generals and captains flooded in like autumn leaves. These reports were first submitted to their immediate superiors, then synchronized into Renjian Renjian Yanhuo. For one to stand out among the flood and be delivered directly to Little Wei Yuan's attention was rare—and it stirred his curiosity.

The report was written by a captain who had survived the great curse strike and participated in the pursuit and looting of the Wu camp. It contained a battle summary and a recommendation.

The summary noted a shortcoming: after destroying the Wu camp, a batch of explosives should have been planted within it, then detonated when the Wu arrived.

The recommendation was that the main Wu army would inevitably advance through the destroyed fortification zone; therefore, large quantities of pressure-triggered explosives should be laid there to effectively hinder their advance.

The Wu 's courage and morale were largely sustained by their curses; once casualties exceeded a certain threshold, the sustaining magic might fail, causing morale to collapse. Even if not that effective, it would still severely weaken their military aura and reduce their combat endurance.

But the report did not mention that tens of thousands of corpses still lay unburied in that zone. Little Wei Yuan closed his eyes slightly, pondered a moment, then found Yu Yu Zhizhuo and handed him the report. Yu Yu Zhizhuo thought briefly and said: "Pressure triggers are simple—I can have them produced now and have finished products within an hour. But are you certain you want to do this?"

Little Wei Yuan slowly nodded.

Yu Yu Zhizhuo sighed: "True. The living matter more."

Soon after, over a thousand Kaihui Daoji cultivators flew into the defense zone and planted freshly made explosive devices. The Wu 's assaults were always overwhelming, so no camouflage was needed—just dig a hole, cover it with dirt.

These template Kaihui Daoji cultivators had endless stamina; in moments, they worked continuously for an hour, laying hundreds of thousands of explosives. Then a second batch of improved explosives arrived—smaller, simpler, just toss them on the ground.

Another hour passed, and a third batch emerged: even smaller, far more numerous, equally simple to install. Their explosive power was now too weak to kill the Wu outright. Little Wei Yuan had doubts, but Yu Yu Zhizhuo explained: "As long as they wound them, it's enough. It still slows the Wu advance—and wounded soldiers burden the enemy's logistics."

Little Wei Yuan listened and deeply agreed—he was genuinely impressed. Indeed, the old were wiser. Yu Yu Zhizhuo, this master of meticulous thought and superior calculation, could devise countless methods.

Before the third wave of explosives was fully laid, the Wu launched their assault. Clearly, the Wu army had no intention of letting Qingming rest; they sent hundreds of thousands to probe Qingming's firepower and response, while their main force rested and the altars still needed time to be erected.

Large numbers of Wu troops surged into the former defense zone, slowed immediately by the uneven terrain, then caught in a double barrage of artillery and explosives. By the time the survivors reached Little Wei Yuan's lines, they were in utter chaos.

Little Wei Yuan had stationed 150,000 elite troops in front of the new position. With no existing fortifications, each soldier dug a shallow hole and raised a steel shield as cover—relying on this crude defense to fight the Wu.

After suffering heavy losses, the Wu broke through the line and engaged Qingming troops in close combat. But Little Wei Yuan had deployed a full ten thousand Dao soldiers. These Dao soldiers wielded twin-barreled spray guns, devastating in melee—each shot obliterated any Wu within several zhang, leaving no intact corpses.

One great Wu, confident in his divine body, charged straight into the Qingming ranks and slew dozens in a single rush. Fueled by bloodlust, he never noticed he was surrounded by dozens of Dao soldiers—then the spray guns roared. His massive frame erupted in a hundred crimson blooms; his heavy armor shattered under the blasts; his body, refined through countless trials, could not withstand the gunfire—layer after layer of flesh was stripped away until he took over seven hundred rounds and collapsed with a thunderous crash.

A powerful great Wu of Fa Xiang mid-stage was slain by a swarm of template Kaihui Daoji cultivators.

After the battle, his divine body was taken for dissection and study; over a hundred jin of bullet fragments were extracted from his corpse.

After the chaos, the first wave of Wu morale shattered, their military aura destabilized, forcing them to retreat. When the second wave advanced, many soldiers stepped on landmines, their lower legs or half their feet blown off—progress slowed drastically, drawing relentless artillery barrages and suffering catastrophic losses.

Thus, Little Wei Yuan held the front line, steadfastly resisting the Wu assault. Meanwhile, Yu Yu Zhizhuo directed teams behind the lines to dig countless narrow, deep pits.

A Wu general watched from afar, his demeanor growing relaxed. He laughed: "With this digging method, they won't finish a proper trench until next year…"

His words had barely ended when he saw the humans suddenly retreat, distancing themselves from the small pits. Then came a deafening explosion—its chain reaction stretched for hundreds of li in an instant. When the smoke cleared, a deep trench had appeared across the land.

The Wu generals stood stunned. Only now did they realize: the humans no longer needed to dig to build fortifications.

(End of Chapter)