Chapter 536 - 357: Ascending the High Ground (Part 2)

Chapter 536: Chapter 357: Ascending the High Ground (Part 2)

’So this is what revealing the map is like!’

The three of them were in the command center, sharing their armies’ vision. They couldn’t see anything beyond the sight range of their Soldiers. The Mingyu Divine Lord had dispatched her Mingyu Sword Immortals to explore the map.

Soon, a Mingyu Sword Immortal discovered a small enemy squad. It was a group of demons with human bodies and tiger heads. They wore Battle Armor, wielded greatswords, and each had a formidable build. They were riding giant wolves, numbering around three hundred, and were on the move.

Information appeared on the display screen: This was a unit of "Tiger Armor Demons," a scout team, with a total of 333 members and an average level of 158!

"I’ve discovered a vanguard of Tiger Armor Demons. I surmise the enemy camp is in this direction. You two can start mobilizing your troops!"

The Mingyu Divine Lord spoke while pointing at the display. She moved the feed of the Tiger Armor Demon vanguard to the main screen but didn’t order her Mingyu Sword Immortals to engage. The Sword Immortals continued to scout, constantly revealing the map and expanding their field of vision.

"The Divine Lord is too kind, leaving these small fries for us to handle!"

Though Emperor Tathagata said this, he quickly began mobilizing his forces.

His grand army—or to be precise, his "Eco-catastrophe Legion"—immediately rushed toward the Tiger Armor Demons’ location. A vast and mighty force of strange insects and Exotic Beasts surged forward, truly resembling a spreading Celestial Calamity.

Wang Yi also commanded his Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors to advance.

Those Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors were short and chubby, looking completely harmless. However, they moved with incredible speed across the snowfield. Their little stubby legs churned—PATTER PATTER PATTER—like spinning flywheels. They weren’t the least bit slower than Emperor Tathagata’s Eco-catastrophe Legion; in fact, they were even a little faster.

A moment later, it was surprisingly the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors who first made contact with the Tiger Armor Demons. The two sides met, and without a single wasted word, they clashed like a meteor striking the earth.

The Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors’ levels were generally not high, and they could only throw wide, swinging punches. But they had overwhelming numbers, with over 160,000 of them. They swarmed forward impetuously and soon had the three hundred-odd Tiger Armor Demons surrounded three layers deep.

The outcome of the battle was never in doubt. By the time Emperor Tathagata’s Eco-catastrophe Legion arrived, all 333 Tiger Armor Demons had been annihilated.

The display showed the statistics: 345 Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors had fallen in battle. Spoils of war obtained: 18 sets of Flying Tiger Armor and 20 giant wolf mounts.

These spoils would be sent to their territory after a decisive victory in the overall battle, but if they ultimately failed to win, the spoils could not be claimed.

"Little Tongtian, your little soldiers are no good! You surrounded them with several hundred times their number, and you still ended up with more casualties than them!" Emperor Tathagata patted Wang Yi’s shoulder. "You yourself are powerful, but your territory’s foundation is just too shallow, and your troops can’t keep up. If it were my Eco-catastrophe Legion, we would have swallowed that group of Tiger Armor Demons whole in a single pass!"

"My territory was just promoted to a Royal Court. Of course I can’t compare to you!"

Wang Yi said this nonchalantly while examining the changes in his Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors.

Although the Tiger Armor Demons were equipped with greatswords, they weren’t a physical-attack-focused class. Judging from their performance in the recent battle, their bodies were relatively frail—mere flesh and blood. The power of their greatsword slashes was also limited. Their most powerful ability was their roar.

Their roars could trigger powerful air explosions and also had a knockback effect. More than half of the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors who had died were killed directly by the Tiger Armor Demons’ roars.

Because of this, after the battle ended, the surviving Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors underwent a small mutation. Their bodies became a bit thinner, but a faint barrier had appeared around them.

Wang Yi knew this was an adaptive mutation, which would probably help the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors resist the Tiger Armor Demons’ roars.

’According to their biological design, the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors must be trying to become the ecological nemesis of the Tiger Armor Demons. This battle has caused them to make some targeted changes. Fighting Tiger Armor Demons in the future should be a little easier.’

Wang Yi felt a sense of anticipation.

Just then, the Mingyu Divine Lord brought another scene to the main screen. She said, "A base has been discovered. Send troops to destroy it!"

Wang Yi looked over at her words. On the display, three Mingyu Sword Immortals were circling in the sky. Below them was a camp enclosed by a wooden fence. Inside the camp were stone houses, towers, and other structures, resembling a large village. A large number of Tiger Armor Demons had been alerted. Wielding their greatswords and mounting their giant wolves, they gathered in the square, roaring at the three Mingyu Sword Immortals.

The display also provided text information.

[Mucun Base: One of the farming bases of the Tiger Dominator Legion, garrisoned with three thousand Tiger Armor Demons. The base stores some meat-based rations. Description: Mucun Base is surrounded by fertile fields and a Spirit Lake. The lake produces Meat Lotus Root, and Sumeru Grass is cultivated in the fields. The roots of the Sumeru Grass are fleshy and highly nutritious.]

"Roger that, dispatching troops immediately!"

Emperor Tathagata said, then immediately ordered his Eco-catastrophe Legion to change course and head toward the Mucun Base.

Wang Yi said, "Let me go instead. My Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors are faster."

After speaking, Wang Yi issued his orders. The massive army of Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors set off at once. Their short legs churned like wheels, and they reached the Mucun Base in less than ten minutes. The teeming horde of one hundred and sixty thousand completely surrounded the base, leaving no escape.

The battle erupted moments later. The Tiger Armor Demons charged out ferociously. Their overlapping roars shook the earth, triggering a chain reaction of explosions that caused the bodies of the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors charging into Mucun Base to burst apart.

But in less than twenty minutes, the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors had successfully flattened the Mucun Base with their absolute numerical superiority.

[Battle Statistics: 4,560 Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors fallen, 3,000 Tiger Armor Demons killed. Spoils obtained: three thousand jin of Meat Lotus Root, twenty thousand jin of Sumeru Grass roots. To be delivered to the territory after overall victory in the battle!]

Emperor Tathagata’s Eco-catastrophe Legion also arrived at the Mucun Base but did not participate in the battle. All three thousand Tiger Armor Demons were eliminated by the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors, so all the spoils belonged to Wang Yi.

Emperor Tathagata wasn’t the least bit concerned about this. Instead, he seemed happy to observe the Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors in battle, commenting, "Little Tongtian, your soldiers have such short arms and legs. Their combat power is lacking, and they don’t have much potential for development. You should switch to a powerful Soldier Type to cultivate. If you don’t have any, I have some blueprints for Eco-Soldier barracks at home. I can give you a good deal on them."

Wang Yi said, "Brother Huang, as a fellow Player of the Eco-School, you should know that Eco-Soldier Types are intimately linked to the territory’s ecosystem. As the territory’s ecosystem grows stronger, so will their power. My Mushroom Man Warriors aren’t very capable right now because they’re limited by my territory’s ecosystem, but they will become powerful in the future."

"Eco-Soldier Types, that’s true enough!" Emperor Tathagata exclaimed with sudden emotion. "Our school is all about harmony and stability. We don’t suddenly become strong, nor do we suddenly become weak. We require a long period of development, aiming to be late bloomers. But then again, when it comes to the late game, which of the Sci-fi, Mystic, or Magic schools aren’t strong?"

Wang Yi nodded but then said, "Let’s continue the fight. The Divine Lord has already discovered more bases!"

The Mingyu Divine Lord, commanding her Mingyu Sword Immortals to scout, had indeed found more bases, and even a fortress named Fire Stone.

’This Battle Realm seems to be enormous. It’ll probably be impossible to end the fight in a short amount of time. We’ll have to take it slow, eliminating them one base at a time... Tiger Dominator Legion, Tiger Dominator Legion... I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before. Could it have been a powerful legion in the past?’

The Mingyu Divine Lord gently held her chin. She had no interest whatsoever in the battles on the field. If her grand army of Sword Immortals were to act, it would be a complete sweep—utterly boring. It was better to give Emperor Tathagata and Wang Yi some opportunities, and also take the chance to observe their forces.

Next, to increase efficiency, Wang Yi’s legion of Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors and Emperor Tathagata’s Eco-catastrophe Legion split up. What followed within the Battle Realm was a tedious cycle of marching and fighting.

During this process, Wang Yi noticed that his Spirit Rhinoceros Warriors were constantly mutating. They grew progressively thinner and weaker-looking, but their resistance to the Tiger Armor Demons’ roars grew stronger and stronger.

After about half a day, the Mingyu Divine Lord’s controlled Mingyu Sword Immortals discovered a high-ground area. Atop this high ground was a city, garrisoned with a large number of Tiger Armor Demons and equipped with numerous defensive structures and buildings.

"It looks like we’ve found their headquarters. You two, pay attention. Gather your forces and prepare to assault the high ground!" The Mingyu Divine Lord’s spirits lifted. "The Tiger Dominator Legion seems to be something special. Don’t let your guard down!"