Chapter 787: Chapter 777: Shaking Military Morale?

“Altar Master, the Flying Tiger Hall has acted. The Black Tiger Guards, one of the four Tiger Guards of the Flying Tiger Hall, nearly two hundred people, have surrounded the Spirit Crystal Defense Zone of our branch altar. The situation is extremely dangerous!” Deputy Altar Master Luo Shanhan exclaimed.

Ye Zhen frowned slightly, having just taken office and the Flying Tiger Hall launched an attack—is this a coincidence or premeditation?

“Previously, did the Flying Tiger Hall ever launch an attack on our branch altar?” Ye Zhen asked with a frown.

Luo Hanshan did not answer Ye Zhen’s question. Instead, he urged, “Lord Ye, although the Spirit Crystal Defense Zone is the smallest defense zone of our branch altar, it is also the most important one.

However, the number of martial artists defending there is not many, only fifteen Vein Forging Realm martial artists and thirty Soul Sea Realm martial artists. Although they can rely on the advantage of formations to hold for a while, they absolutely cannot sustain for long.”

“Now that the Flying Tiger Hall is attacking in full force, we must make a decision immediately!” Luo Hanshan emphasized.

Ye Zhen knew about the defense zone division that Luo Hanshan mentioned. This was the biggest issue the Red Fire Subdivision of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect was facing.

After annexing thirty percent of the territory of Stars Tower in Red Fire Martial City, the defense area of the Red Fire Subdivision rapidly expanded. Previously, according to geographical location, Tus De strategically abandoned several very isolated mine veins, dividing the defense zone of the Red Fire Subdivision into three major areas.

These are the Eastern Mine Vein Defense Area, the Southern Mining Vein Defense Area, and the Northern Spirit Crystal Defense Zone.

Among them, the Eastern Mine Vein Defense Area and the Southern Mining Vein Defense Area each cover about five hundred miles and are the primary defense focus of the branch altar, with half of the forces of the altar deployed entirely within these two defense zones.

The Northern Spirit Crystal Defense Zone, however, covers only about a hundred miles, but within this hundred miles, there are three Spirit Crystal Veins reaching deep underground: one Low Grade Spirit Crystal Vein and two Mid-grade Spirit Crystal Veins.

Moreover, each of these Spirit Crystal Veins has associated veins to varying extents, some of which are extremely valuable Attribute Spiritual Crystal associated veins.

According to the information on the jade scroll provided to Ye Zhen by Tus De, the number of Attribute Spiritual Crystals produced annually from these associated veins here accounts for more than sixty percent of the total number obtained by the Sun and Moon Divine Sect each year, making the site extremely important.

Therefore, Tus De deployed a considerable amount of defensive force here—fifteen Vein Forging Realm martial artists—while each of the Eastern and Southern Mine Vein Defense Areas only had twenty Vein Forging Warriors for defense.

The defensive forces of these three zones exhausted seventy percent of the strength of the Red Fire Subdivision. The remaining thirty percent, roughly about twenty Vein Forging Realm martial artists and nearly a hundred Soul Sea Realm martial artists, serve as mobile forces to support each defense zone at any time.

Originally, when Elder Tus of the Punishment Hall left, the more than thirty Punishment Hall Law Enforcers, led by him, were all Vein Forging Realm martial artists, representing an extremely formidable force capable of deterring various factions.

Now that they’ve left, Ye Zhen has brought, together with Zuo Xiong and Yua Qianlou, plus the two Punishment Hall Law Enforcers left by Tus De, a total of only fourteen Vein Forging Realm martial artists, reducing the defensive forces by more than half.

Ye Zhen estimated, this was the real reason why the Flying Tiger Hall attacked right after Tus De left.

Yet, knowing is knowing, Ye Zhen’s face suddenly darkened. Luo Hanshan seemed to have carried the mood of being demoted here or perhaps hadn’t yet understood the current situation, taking matters into his own hands and making decisions for Ye Zhen directly.

“Altar Master Luo, first answer my question! Previously, did the Flying Tiger Hall ever launch an attack before? Also, how many Vein Forging Realm martial artists does the Black Tiger Guard deploying around the Spirit Crystal Defense Zone have?” Ye Zhen asked, holding back his dissatisfaction.

In the battles between various factions, Vein Forging Realm martial artists are the strongest combat force, so their number is crucial!

By now, everyone had already landed within the branch altar, and the various level leaders and martial artists guarding the altar all came forward to greet them.

Being questioned by Ye Zhen in front of everyone in a tone akin to reprimand, Luo Shanhan’s face suddenly flushed red.

His chest heaved violently for a moment before he slowly clasped his fist and replied, “Altar Master, before this, the Flying Tiger Hall staged an attack once, but Elder Tus repelled them.

Of the four Tiger Guards within the Flying Tiger Hall, each guard maintains around thirty Vein Forging Realm martial artists. However, the reason the four Tiger Guards of the Flying Tiger Hall are renowned is primarily because every Vein Forging Realm martial artist among their four Tiger Guards is equipped with a tiger-type demonic beast.

For instance, the Black Tiger Guard is equipped with the Heavenly Level Lower Grade Black Nightmare Shadow Tiger. This Black Nightmare Shadow Tiger is inherently extremely fast, moving like a flash of black wind, and is immensely powerful, which non-Vein Forging Realm martial artists cannot handle!”

“So, your meaning is, the Black Tiger Guard besieging the Spirit Crystal Vein Defense Zone is equivalent to having more than sixty Vein Forging Realm martial artists?” Ye Zhen asked.

“That’s correct, which is fundamentally beyond our capacity to handle. Plus, I suspect the Flying Tiger Hall has additional forces at the ready; the White Tiger Guard or the Flying Tiger Guard might also act. I suggest abandoning one defense zone, compressing the defense area, and concentrating our forces!” Luo Shanhan nodded.

“Compress the defense zone?” Ye Zhen muttered with uncertain doubt, casting his gaze to the others, “Do you think this attack by the Black Tiger Guard might be a mere probe?”

Luo Shanhan’s face suddenly changed, his gaze growing somewhat grim!

“Lord Ye, whether the Black Tiger Guard is probing cannot be confirmed, but there’s one thing that’s certain: if we show any weakness in our response to the Black Tiger Guard this time, then the Flying Tiger Hall will likely launch a full-scale attack on us next, not merely the Black Tiger Guard!” Zuo Xiong’s voice sounded.

Yua Qianlou also quickly chimed in, “Exactly, that’s why we must concentrate our superior forces this time, to hurt and terrify the Black Tiger Guard, so that, for a short period, the Flying Tiger Hall might be deterred from a full-scale attack on us, buying us precious time.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen nodded his head. These two had analyzed it quite well, roughly matching his own thoughts. Ye Zhen, having commanded the Eastern Expedition in the Black Dragon Domain, boasting over two years of experience commanding an army of hundreds of thousands, did not put this show of force in his eyes at all.

The previous inquiry was just a habit developed during his time as the Supreme Commander of the Eastern Expedition, allowing subordinates to offer advice and thus effectively fill in any gaps.

Ye Zhen’s gaze sharpened suddenly, coming to a decision, “Given the situation, we should concentrate the elite forces of the branch altar to hit the Flying Tiger Hall’s Black Tiger Guards head-on! Altar Master Luo, gather the forces…”

“Lord Ye, the matter of supporting the Spirit Crystal Defense Zone might require you personally to lead the team. The branch altar cannot dispatch more people!” Before Ye Zhen could finish issuing the command, Luo Shanhan coldly replied to Ye Zhen.

This remark ignited Ye Zhen’s fury instantly, almost reaching his forehead. Ye Zhen had not bothered with the continuous impoliteness earlier, but with this remark now, manifestly disregarding the bigger picture and dragging feet, Ye Zhen could hardly stay calm.

“Why?” Ye Zhen almost glared at Luo Shanhan and demanded angrily in a stern voice!

“The brothers of the branch altar just held off the joint siege by the Longevity Sect and the Heavenly Net Sect last night. Everyone is injured, each severely depleted. Forcibly sending them into battle now is basically sending them to their deaths!” As he spoke, Luo Shanhan pointed to martial artists meditating in various spots within the branch altar.

A few martial artists, timely as ever, even cried out in apparent agony.

Ye Zhen’s expression grew cold abruptly; under his Sword Heart Enlightenment perception, he was entirely aware of the condition of these individuals.

These people were genuinely injured, genuinely depleted, but it was absolutely not to the extent Luo Shanhan claimed, suggesting forced battle would mean death.

Most of these individuals had at least seventy to eighty percent of their combat power.

Moreover, Ye Zhen’s intention for deploying these people was primarily to boost morale and intimidate!

“Gather the forces then. I need to take at least fifteen Vein Forging Realm martial artists and over fifty Soul Sea Realm martial artists from the branch altar!” Ye Zhen strived to use a mild tone to issue the command.

Luo Shanhan, for some inexplicable reason, contorted his neck and retorted, “Since the Altar Master believes the Black Tiger Guard’s action is a probe, wouldn’t the forces you brought along suffice to handle them? Why involve us?” While shouting in anger, a sense of grievance welled up in Luo Shanhan’s heart.

For these past nine days, he had risked life and limb, receiving one hundred and thirty wounds, his entire body almost battered, believing himself to have done great deeds. Yet he was met with a demotion order.

This raised a rush of bitter fire within him, exploding before Ye Zhen at this moment.

Ye Zhen’s face suddenly turned ashen, “Altar Master Luo, this is an order. Execute it immediately!”

“You’re giving reckless orders; there are over sixty Vein Forging Realm martial artists. You’re sending us to die! I cannot send the brothers to die!”

This statement caused everyone there to be visibly taken aback, with Ye Zhen’s fury erupting, “Scoundrel, you’re daring to undermine the troop’s morale! Someone, seize him!”

Ye Zhen’s explosive shout scared Luo Shanhan into retreating several steps, who then sneered, “In my territory, to think of dealing with me is dreaming! If dealing with me leads to chaos at the Red Fire Subdivision or losing this land, it’s all your fault!” (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)