As soon as Qian Ye returned to the holy land, he summoned the elders of the various tribes to enquire about the battle conditions. Assembled in the holy land were not just clan Men Luo, but also the two allied clans of Bayn and Spake who had come to assist.
The Atuva people were primitive and simple folk, yes, but not naive by a long shot. Qian Ye had already communed with the Holy Spirit and was regarded as the spirit’s very emissary. On the practical end, the grim reality of violence clearly convinced the tribe that only through Qian Ye might the destruction by the Black Devil be thwarted for real. Before a Demigod Lord, valorous Atuva acts and sacrificial heroics on the battlefield could never tip fate – perhaps buying only fleeting extra time.
Therefore, Qian Ye’s conference summon proved successful beyond expectations, all elders responding promptly with full co-operation; without hiccup or unexpected incident. As each tribal leader recounted his version of happenstance Qian Ye gradually formed the clearest overall view of the entire military operation’s progression.
This latest strike against the Evershade stronghold – essentially a desperate high-stake gamble by the whole Atuva force meant to finally banish Evershade from the Holy Mountain permanently this time around – had ended simply in bitter financial and tactical disappointment. During the fighting Atuvans resorted – as ever they must – to a familiar formation tactic: a vanguard wave of suicide-elite warrior sacrifices to clear the defensive pathhead on, regular warriors following to tie up resources in the frontline, then culminated finally in the colossal war deity unleashing the finishing stroke.
Except their time-worn strategy had long already turned archaic. For the Evershadish champions remained not rigid and predictable; quite the contrary, all participants inside Realm Prime belonged to the upper crème in the elite hierarchy.
From inception, the Evershade elites already had Atuvan plans under detection, and promptly under Priests’s directive moved to pre-set defense positions, thus transforming Atuva’s planned infiltration strike into an all-out assault offensive.
As with all original societies, trench warfare would never be any match against the sophisticated warfare machine of a veteran civilization. In reality Evershadow deployed not a single Demigod upfront at commencement, relying merely upon concentrated volleys of kinetic weapons to cut down over half the frontline fighters before they had closed distance.
Scattered self-sacrifices simply made no impression against the fortified Evershadish perimeter defenses. Once elite Atuva warriors went down the regular supporting infantry behind found themselves immediately exposed to devastating concentrated firepower becoming defenseless targets.
Victimously, the campaign deteriorated into wholesale slaughter from its very inception.
Despite the Atuvans legendary lightning strike capability, every Evershabbr warrior had attained no lower than the Baron rank; holding plasma rifles enabled simultaneous threat tracking across a dozen different vectors, yet still striking down 3 or 5 high-value targets at minimum – standard skill level expected of such an echelon force.
Individual Atuva warriors leapt up into the air hoping to bypass frontline defensives to crash down within enemy trenches – met always with the same result. Cut down mid flight into meaty colanders.
In fact the Giant War Gods hadn’t got even within spitting distance near the enemy positions.
Soon, determined assault crumbled into ignominious rout. Fortunately Evershad forces pursued at leisure rather casually – maintaining loose pursuit without intensity; seeming more intent to simply drive the entire Atuvan forces back across homefront borders than truly annihilating all opposition.
Having gathered the full picture about combat outcome, Qian Ye momentarily felt like having hit a complete mental block, powerless against analysis.
Evershad fought that match purely by straightforward application of crushing military superiority; defeating the atuvan with conventional force. Of Thirtheen Atuva major subtribes already two-and-half lay totally ravaged and devastated into impotency.
Previously their last potential course involved allied partnership with the Empire: balancing Eversad with the Empirical Kingly Class while the hardened resolve of Atuva warrior recruits made up for imperial soldierry’s moral weaknesses within the imperial military. It could have truly formed a heaven-sent synergies. United together, they could possibly still keep Eversade entirely sealed outside the boundaries of the sacred summit. At least delay the inevitable arrival by some critical timeframe more.
Yet here now, the Emperor’s Prime Wang Ming resided actually within this immediate vicinity; still merely secretly observed the entire ongoing events unfolding without ever once interdicting intervention. Had he shrewdly pinpointed the decisive Atuva – Evershabbr showdown inevitable? Would he await patient the full decimation across Atuvin ranks before eventually entering the picture, merely collecting the leftover scraps from the ashes thereafter?
Inside the Qian mind brewed a darkening fury; how confidently presumptuous of Wang DingXuant that he would inevitably find himself siding with the Empire?
Ka-Crack!
The wooden chair Qian Ye was sitting upon broke suddenly into splinters, before crumbling further, disintegrating totally into fine dust as it fell.
This sudden reaction jolted awareness again inside Qian: his mind had wavered, allowing external spillage from latent supernatural resonance. Looking up meeting eyes with the surrounding gathered elders who all regarded him in evident bewilderment and anxious speculation, Qian forced an externally calm expression once more upon his face; yet his seat had by now entirely evaporated in front him.
Accordingly he just stood. One swift rising motion; a single expansive sweep forward of his hand through air materialized now a hovering full projection image; topographical map display of the holy mountain rising magically before them all.
“We must never permit the Black Devils trespass defiled upon the sacred mountain peak,” he intoned resolutely to the assemblage. “We cannot let them lay hand upon the precious treasures left behind by our holy spirits from antiquity! Nevertheless, their forces remain vast mighty foe to contend indeed… which explains why my suggestion now goes: First, we shall release the call of holy battle far wide across lands and summon forth remaining tribes still uninvolved to gather again here upon this Holy Mount. Secondarily; we must hastily establish new defensive barricade across this terrain,” Qian continued, while finger jabbing upon map at specific strategic location coordinates, “preventing forever any Devil Black incursion stepping even upon mountain sacred footstep.”
Truth within Qian: that line of fortification proposed by him actually lacked genuine geographic defensive advantage. Essentially chosen merely as most adjacent point relative to holy site center – therefore allowing shortened frontlines as practical as it were. Confronting entire armies of Evershade Lords beyond Baron rank, natural geographical advantages – either existing or missing – proved essentially negligible from start to finish.
Elder council tribal members held little practical experience regarding massive wartime strategies – nor previous experience against Evershad at all. Up to previous points of comparison the few clashes resulted in heavy casualties, only having avoided total rout due to intervention precisely coordinated by Qian Ye himself.
But happily, in the matter of tribal politics Atuvan elders demonstrated low levels desire power grabs personally; all showing hearty approval to Qian Ye’s plans and ideas thus far.
Qian, though aware full plans no more effective than stop-gap temporary measures. Even with reduced frontlines, the strategy of the Demigods of Everlasting Night was simple: use a Primal Sovereign for field command support and have lesser Counts/Barons conduct tactical advances in an incremental attrition-based fashion which would allow a slow but systematic erosion of opposing defenses down to total collapse.
Fundamentally speaking, so long as none of the Demigods engaged in reckless behavior without caution and provided no further opportunities to allow Qian Ye successful surprise strike opportunities from ambush… his chances of ever achieving battlefield domination were nearly non-existent; and even a victory of killing their Demigod class commanders outright, that dream faded into impossibility too.
Qiang Ye therefore arrived upon decision: He needs personally make the journey now to the enemy camp of the Empire and have serious formal discussion with Wang Ming.
This issue was indeed about nothing short than the survival or obliteration of mankind in future to-be. He decided, this couldn’t remain left up to the subjective selfish whims or caprice opinions held by select few individuals!
With decision firmly fixed in his mental compass Qian Ye thus departed from holy center, traveling now in the direction of where he suspected most plausibly the hidden imperial encampment resided nearby.
Within the remote depths of a hidden gorge somewhere unknown: recently appearing stood a brand new smaller camp setup. At distance there initially appeared no noticeable differences; all across its vicinity – the whole locale bathed inside same active dark primordial energies common throughout the inner realms dimension.
Yet approaching within a particular threshold revealed hidden detail. The entire valley appeared centered upon an inner area wreathed mysteriously within a gentle swirling aura clear like mountain breeze: almost looking仙境 or celestial landscape of some fabled realm.
At center of this settlement now were stood exactly eight towering standing stones. Essentially in their raw natural states these rock pillars, though displaying varied shapes and structures from individual to other.
On each one had been engraved an exquisite carving unique. Some portrayed classic symbols like pine tree, plum tree, bamboo, or chrysanthemum blossom. Still others displayed mountain landscapes with running brook or drifting clouds, all seamlessly flowing within stone texture as inseparable integrated artistic creation: a masterpieces truly god-gifted beyond comparison!
Furthermore, even more remarkable indeed, these depicted artistic etchings adorning atop each of eight stones served practical purposes in actual martial application.
For each artwork itself functioned as unique diagram blueprint to channel raw power, and when all placed together – their composite formation created a powerful unified energy array.
Right within the center area formed between these eight stones, miraculously water suddenly sprung up in liquid stream from thin air itself; cascading down in soft waterfall splashes, following artificial ground paths channelled neatly across carefully prepared rockwork, eventually all collecting inside single clearwater pool structure basin.
Within the pool, blossoms of lotus plants gently swayed in gentle breezy current wind. While beneath the pond surface: golden-scaled koi fish darted back and forth in playful swishes back n forth; rippling across its mirrored reflection with subtle waves ever so fine.
Beside this clearspring basin rested stone bench and tabletop.
At present time within this area: two individuals occupied table’s opposite sides; locked locked into deep contemplation of an ongoing Go match gameplay session.
Upon one particular side sat Wang Ding Xuan himself.
Clasping with slender fingers yet single polished white stone chip tile held suspended in mid air: he pondered thought for what seemed infinite timeless eternity. Eventually, he released that stone with practiced precision. Placing softly it down into its chosen board position square.
Then finally lifted gaze; looking straightly upwards; straight into face across from him who was none other than Wang Zhiji.
Zhijit watched placement made by opponent: initially expression stunned. Then his eyes narrowed. After moment consideration finally spoke:
“Shun-xuan. This particular move by you creates a situation where either option for answer feels equally difficult; leaving me in great discomfort from indecision.”
Duan Xuan softly chuckled: smiling:
“In military maneuvering and strategic games alike, moves ought best make opposition responses awkward indeed; difficult to smoothly counter.”
Zhiji held his own gaming piece suspended, hesitated long in motion but made no further movement down:
“And yet I wonder if you truly missed optimal option here. There did remain one specific alternative which, in all other aspects seems far superior to achieve more dominant final victory. Surely such choice could not elude your sharp awareness. Hence… what prompts your unusual decision for passing up your better line?”
Ding Xuan fondly stroking his beard: nodded.
“That alternative may usually represent absolute ideal response indeed. However the placement chosen by this move generates a discomfort upon enemy, leading to more possibility to trigger unstable reactions, potentially pushing opponent make even greater mistakes through disordered confused decisions.
Then that previously ‘so absolute ideal option choice’ might perhaps no longer so ideally applicable afterward.”
Zhiji replied: “If elder like I here were forcefully to respond and re-take control… I’d say such overconfidence of yours risks turning into sluggish ineffective play.”
Then suddenly Ding Xuan burst into delighted laugher:
“Oh ho! Ha ha ha. Youth of today… their endurance remains so brittle, so delicate compared against veterans of advanced years with discipline of seasoned masters like yourself my friend!
Moreover, unless pressured through some bold risk-taking move such as this, how can we hope to discover and test enemy’s true lowest limits and capacities remaining?”
“As a bottom case fallback… if things turn against us, we can always surrender. Would he even dare attack The Empire’s delegation, if we were ever that foolish in losing to him outright, hah!”
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