Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

"Is it suitable..."

"To place one's own safety above all else, true to the spirit of Xu's clan..."

"We are not companions on the same path..."

Without hiding anything, a number of high-ranking officers quickly exchanged views under the leadership of An Siyan.

"What are you going to do?! This is insubordination!"

"You all will get zero!"

Xu Jianian realized something, his eyes revealing a panicked look, and he said threateningly, "Without me, it's impossible for you to achieve the ultimate victory."

No one answered him.

"Ding! The Chief of Staff of the East Army Group, An Siyan, has launched a military conference."

Jiang Ding, who had been silently observing, received a new notification and joined in.

This was the first time since Xu Jianian's appointment as the temporary General of the East Army Group that a military conference was initiated by someone other than him.

"Chief of Staff An Siyan proposes the topic of dismissing the temporary General of the East Army Group, Xu Jianian, and submits a request for approval to the higher command."

"Agree/Oppose."

This was a vote in which only officers of regimental level and above could participate.

If approved, the suggestion would be sent to the higher authorities in the form of a document. If the Frontline Military Committee approved it, a resolution would be formed. If not, it would be rejected.

Without violating the overall strategy, the higher authorities generally respect the opinions from below.

"You are committing insubordination!"

"How could the Xianmen Sect have students like you, the future soldiers?!!"

"Zero points for practical assessment, all zero points!"

Xu Jianian roared furiously, but alas, no one paid any attention to him.

Jiang Ding cast his vote in favor, and most of the other senior officers did the same. The proposal was quickly passed and sent to the Frontline Military Committee for review.

"Ding!"

"The Frontline Military Committee has made a decision: six in favor, one opposed. The motion to dismiss student Xu Jianian from his position as the temporary General of the East Army Group is approved, and student Xu Jianian is appointed as the commander of the First Division of the East Army Group."

"Dismiss student An Siyan from the role of Chief of Staff of the East Army Group, appoint student An Siyan as the temporary General of the East Army Group. The position of Chief of Staff will be taken over by the former commander of the First Division."

"I disagree! I refuse to take over!"

Xu Jianian yelled, his face horribly distorted.

"Open fire! Blast these insubordinate rebels to death!"

The muzzles of the seventy-two tanks directly under his command moved slightly, but they quickly realized their situation and remained motionless.

Xu Si and the other six stiffened, ready to take action immediately.

"Silence!"

A chilling Sword Intent descended, and the seven men's bodies stiffened.

"Are you refusing a military order?"

An Siyan's expression remained unchanged, he said indifferently.

"Insurbordination on the battlefield?"

"I..."

Just as Xu Jianian was about to rage, his heart turned cold.

He didn't know how many muzzles were subtly adjusted, aiming at this location.

"...Yes!"

He said with difficulty.

Even as a Nascent Soul direct descendant of Xu's clan, he had competitors within the family and could not easily obtain everything. The College Entrance Exam results were extremely important to him.

He foresaw that any further irrational behavior would result in only zeroes and death.

...

"Hahaha!"

Immortal Huangmao watched with glee.

"This is the result of inbreeding."

"Just two thousand years, a mere third generation, and the Descendants of Divinity Transformation, whose quality, will, and aptitude were all top-notch, have degenerated to this extent."

"Like an idiot, staying too long in the private army of his clan, he thinks everywhere is like his parents' house, spoiling him."

"The drawbacks of clan politics."

Immortal Dinghai shook his head, "Even when selected from a group of no more than a few hundred, no matter how well they are cultivated, that's all there is to it. However, I have heard that the mortals bred in Xu Jiezhong have reached the tens of billions, all with a trace of Xu's bloodline. Perhaps there will be changes in the future."

"Or perhaps by accepting top talents into the family by marriage, that's also possible."

"Heh, I bet it won't happen."

Immortal Huangmao disagreed, "Those two are selfish to the extreme, caught in the narrow viewpoint of bloodlines. After all, those in the Immortal Sects from Xianmen stemmed from the same ancestor a million years ago."

"The son of a rat will learn to burrow, and their offspring will naturally do the same, unwilling to allow outsiders or collateral relatives to encroach on their interests."

"And even if there are a few top talents, how could they compare with the people heavily nurtured by the Immortal Sects?"

"I understand the events of that year."

Immortal Huangmao revealed a trace of chilliness.

"If it weren't for the obstruction of Xuanwu tiangong and several recluses lurking in the shadows, coupled with the need to keep a low profile to avoid attracting the collective hostility of the remaining Eight Immortal Sects, they would've long paid some price to obliterate those two."

"Those two are also useful at times."

"Since a thorn has been planted, contradictions within the Eight Immortal Sects are already rife, making it harder to resolve to unite. The Immortal Sects have indeed gained a long time to develop."

…

The tank battalion and infantry slowly crossed the iron bridge, without any accidents occurring.

Half a day later, the Iron Tide, reorganized into eighteen divisions, arrived within forty kilometers of the Changhe Sword Sect's mountain gate, and with the cover of artillery fire, the drones acquired the relevant intelligence.

Jiang Ding carefully observed the scouted footage.

The mountain gate was not very tall, only a little over a thousand meters, surrounded by thirty-three jade belt rivers, creating a scene of birds chirping and fragrant flowers, brimming with vitality, making one doubt if this was a desert or in fact, among the southern water towns of Jiangnan.

It was just the ruins scattered over the mountain gate, and several deep holes more than a hundred meters wide, that ruined the peaceful scene, giving it a sense of horror instead.

In one of the surviving corners,

a terracotta-colored Mountain Gate Protection Shield shone brightly, leveraging a Third-tier Spiritual Vein to reach a quasi-third rank, impregnable.

Nine giant terracotta pillars shooting skyward emerged from the mountain gate, piercing into the clouds, mysterious runes blinking within and the sound of the Dao lingering.

Xuanwu tiangong, one corner of the Boundary Array!

"Construct the Second-Order Electromagnetic Wave Formation Method."

An Siyan commanded.

She didn't randomly assign one or two divisions to the task, instead she selected those with a specialty in Formation Methods from the military, organizing them into a team for the task, vastly more efficient than before.

Clearly, she was more familiar with the Immortal Sects' military and had a deep understanding of every individual who offered more value.

Four hours later, the formation was constructed, and several backup formations were set up in other directions, ensuring that even if one was destroyed, it would not affect the precision of the Spirit sonar's sensing.

"Ready!"

"Fire!"

The muzzles of over eighteen thousand cannons blazed with flames, their booming so intense that it shook the desert for dozens of kilometers.

Boom!

The quasi-third rank Big Array of the Changhe Sword Sect shook under the bombardment, the Spiritual Light flickering unstably. Leveraging a Third-tier Spiritual Vein, it was much stronger than other formations, still capable of launching soil spears, each comparable to the full blow of a foundation-building cultivator.

What a pity, the Divine Sense of Early stage Golden Elixir Cultivators only extended for ten kilometers, far surpassing foundation-building cultivators, but still unable to inflict any damage on the Immortal Sect troops forty kilometers away.

Boom!

Another round of synchronized firing followed, the fixed mountain gate unable to dodge, resorting to countless earth-based magics to withstand the onslaught, forming stone walls, spears, and pillars… varied in form, akin to dozens of foundation-building cultivators forming an Army Formation, jointly resisting the attack.

Boom! Boom boom!

…

The third, fourth… seventh round!

The Mountain Gate Earth Array crumbled amidst the relentless bombardment, countless pieces of debris and bodies ejecting outward, the mountain gate over a thousand meters high being shaved layer by layer until devoid of any life, with even a trace of greenery becoming a luxury wish.

The nine sky-piercing giant pillars thunderously collapsed.

At the same time, having relinquished his near-guard duties after the change in command, Jiang Ding silently bypassed the collapsing mountain gate of the Changhe Sword Sect, roaming nearby, sensing for the enemy with his Sword Intent.

Hum!

The Flying Sword vibrated, sketching within the Divine Soul the figure of a dwarf hidden within layers of Formation Methods, his face filled with reluctance, casting longing glances towards the center of the Iron Tide's military formation, deeply unwilling to part.

"He didn't leave?"

"His beloved Artifact!"

"This is very important to him, perhaps tied to the Artifact and potential for advancement to the Golden Pellet Realm, even key to it."

Jiang Ding thought of the thorn in the Storage Jade Pendant, contemplatively.