Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

"Why won't the Sect send out more foundation-building cultivators..."

A hundred kilometers away, a youth with bronze skin let out a soft sigh.

But he also knew that the deployment of over a thousand foundation-building cultivators was already the limit, with one foundation-builder for nearly a thousand mortals and Qi Practitioners, the latter making up less than thirty percent of the total.

No matter what, this should have resulted in an overwhelming victory.

Alas!

The combat weapons of the Eastern Devil School were too terrifying against low and middle-level cultivators!

The Iron Tide continued to press forward.

"We are still fifteen hundred kilometers from the core of the West Desert; it will take at most a day to arrive!"

Jin Lingfeng said coldly on the legion channel, "Once we get within seventy kilometers, regardless of what happens, target the core's thirty-six array bases and deploy tactical nuclear weapons. I want to see if the Xuanwu Substitute Daoist can stop that!"

"Yes!"

...

"So many people!"

In the drone footage, scene after scene poured in, causing a burst of surprise on the legion channel.

"As expected, quite ruthless."

Jiang Ding felt a tremble in his heart.

Dozens of kilometers away,

there was a sea of people, old and young, mostly women and children, each carrying simple spears and staffs, led in this direction by a group of martial artists from Jianghu and the royal army, with occasional Qi Practitioners driving them on and maintaining order.

Tens, hundreds, over a hundred thousand!

A vast swarm of West Desert mortals, organized by the prepared Martial Arts Schools and Qi Practitioners after who knows how many days, blocked the path of the Big Army.

In their eyes shone ferocity and desire, lured by unknown promises.

"We could take a detour; it wouldn't take many days."

"Persuading them to leave is also an option. Compared to the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace, the Xianmen Sect treats mortals very well. They can have a much better life in the future; they shouldn't be doing this."

Some classmates couldn't bear it and whispered, receiving some agreement.

"No way!"

Jin Lingfeng flatly refused, "Let's start voting, but I want to make it clear that even if the vote is against, I will still use the supreme authority of the highest military commander to override any emergency decision."

It was apparent,

she also felt some reluctance toward such a cruel decision and wanted to share the burden with others.

"Why act alone?"

"Those who are not citizens of Lanying Planet must harbour different intentions!"

"They dare to take up weapons and obstruct the progress of the Big Army; that makes them combatants! Regardless of strength, status, or reason, we must respond decisively!"

Some classmates laughed loudly, both men and women, not hiding anything.

"Also, be aware that there may be some sort of Blood and Flesh Curse or plague here; it would be best to use flames and purification spells to eliminate it."

"Voting starts now."

Jiang Ding sighed silently and cast a vote in favor.

"The proposal has been approved by 92.6%, the order is passed."

"Prepare the grenades, Magic Obstruction Agent powder made of Broken Method Steel, thermite ready, exorcising magic and Fire element spells prepare..."

Jin Lingfeng issued commands methodically.

As she acted based on collective decision, a lot of the burden in her heart disappeared all at once, and she felt much lighter.

"Fire!"

The muzzles of tens of thousands of artillery pieces adjusted slightly. Amidst the deafening roar, streaks of daylight-visible flames like shooting stars crossed the sky, flying towards the six or seven dozen kilometers away.

...

"Maitreya has descended!"

"The Land of Ultimate Bliss is just ahead! Folks, put in a little more effort, and we'll be there soon!"

"Once we're there, everyone will have clothes to wear, food to eat, and life will be as blissful as that of immortals!"

Among many elderly, children, and women, yellow-robed monks shuttled back and forth, loudly rallying the crowd, which erupted into cheers of great excitement whenever they stopped.

Nobody could see the tinges of scarlet hidden deep within their eyes.

"Can we leave now?"

Hidden in the corner of the crowd, an old man in a black robe, looking anxious and agitated, hoarsely shouted at a blood-red plaque.

"Young friend, be at ease, just a moment longer and the opportunity for foundation building will be at hand..."

A gentle voice came from the blood-red plaque, like an elder patiently instructing, unconsciously soothing one's heart.

"Please forgive my impatience, my lord," replied the old man in a black robe, the anxiety and unease on his face replaced by a bizarre trust.

"No! Damn Eastern Devil School, completely disregarding the laws between immortals and mortals..." a terrified scream came from the blood-red plaque, interrupting that trust and peace of mind.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Across the sky, meteors visible in broad daylight flew in from the distance, their screeching sounds were continuous and piercingly shrill.

"Don't panic, these are the Star Lords from heaven coming to pick us up..."

Some yellow-robed monks still shouted loudly, calming the panicking refugees and restoring order, utterly oblivious to the shadows of people desperately fleeing in the crowd.

Boom!

A grenade exploded in the sky, countless shards of Magic Arts-Breaking Steel laced with flames and silver-white powder rained down from above, covering the land within hundreds of meters and turning numerous people into smithereens, with tufts of bright flames appearing everywhere.

Boom, boom!

The first shell, then thousands, then tens of thousands of incendiary bombs enveloped the advancing Big Army, flames burning fiercely, thick smoke and firelight soaring into the sky, visible from a hundred miles away.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the flames died down, and the ground was covered with layer upon layer of charred remains.

The Iron Tide of tanks rolled in from a distance, crushing the layers of char, and with the roar of their engines, they continued onward without the slightest delay.

"If there is a Heavenly Law in this world, it must know that this act was committed by Xuanwu Heavenly Palace!"

Jin Lingfeng spoke out loud, "Surely we can't let ourselves be slaughtered just because the enemy is weak, right? Go around? How? Once confirmed effective, this would come from all sides!"

"The Desolate Bronze Small World has been like this for tens or hundreds of thousands of years, cultivators brutal beyond measure, mortals as insignificant as ants. Our arrival is a great boon for the state of the Desolate Bronze Small World!"

"We are the righteous ones!"

"Indeed, we won't accept them as citizens of Fairy Gate, and we will levy hefty taxes, but under the governance of Fairy Gate, their lives will be far better than before!"

"We have brought undeniable justice to the Desolate Bronze Small World!"

Under her comfort, the spirits of many classmates began to lift.

Jiang Ding said nothing.

In his sensing of Sword Intent, there was an addition of a gloomy, pitch-black substance, similar to zombies and evil spirits but far more numerous, as deep as the ocean.

"Zombies? So many!"

Jiang Ding's face suddenly turned pale.

Just how many zombies and fierce ghosts had Xuanwu Heavenly Palace refined for their disciples?

He reported it up the chain.

"Go around!"

Jin Lingfeng's silver hair flew in the wind as she snorted coldly, "This Xuanwu Substitute Daoist has run out of tricks, setting up so many obstacles on our path. Does he take us for buffoons?"

The Big Army made a wide detour, firing from several tens of kilometers away, and tens of thousands of armor-piercing shells streaked across the sky, engulfing the area.

It was like poking a hornet's nest, countless evil spirits and zombies emerged from the ground, howling ceaselessly, and patterns of Formation Methods twinkled, carrying a terrifying presence of the Gold Pill Level.

"Third-Order Ghost Formation! As expected."

Everyone was unsurprised and quickened their pace forward.

As long as they got within seventy kilometers of the heart of the West Desert, they would be unstoppable under tactical nuclear weapons.