The appointment of several dozen commanders took no more than half an hour.
Once all the appointments were complete,
"Yes, sir!"
The commanders immediately set to work. The various appointments that Xiang Shan and Liu Zhiping had announced were only at the commander level. Below the commanders were the Guards, which was something the commanders themselves would need to handle — the two army commanders would not intervene.
However, the arrangements for the thirty thousand soldiers gathered in the plaza had already been prepared by the higher-ups. Which troops from which pass belonged to which commander and which Guard had all been predetermined. The commanders only needed to organize their personnel according to the rosters.
During the days
The division of personnel was quite meticulous. The coordination of personnel for each Guard and each commander's unit required advance planning.
Voices of the various commanders calling out appointments rang ceaselessly across the plaza, and units that had come from different passes were also moving swiftly, searching for their respective assignments.
Yang Kai and
Both elite squads had roughly fifty members each, which was equivalent to half a Guard's strength. Naturally, they couldn't simply be folded into a single Guard.
Moreover, at Biluo Pass, the elite squads had always operated outside the normal chain of command, reporting directly to the army commanders.
Yang Kai nodded slightly. "Brother Chai is right. Let's go, then."
The two made their way together toward Xiang Shan.
When they arrived, they each bowed. Yang Kai said, "Sir, how should my squad and Brother Chai's squad operate during battle?"
Xiang Shan glanced at him and gave only four words: "Play it by ear!"
Yang Kai immediately understood. "This disciple understands!"
"Play it by ear" meant there would be no restrictions — they wouldn't need to coordinate with other squads the way the regular forces did. For the two elite squads, this was a good thing, as it would be easier for them to operate freely and make full use of their strengths.
Of course, there were pros and cons. Not coordinating with other squads meant the two teams would likely receive little support. On the battlefield, they would have to rely entirely on themselves.
Morning Dawn and the Old Turtle Squad were already prepared for this — it had been the same at Biluo Pass. Elite squads always operated freely in battle.
After receiving Xiang Shan's answer, Yang Kai and Chai Fang returned with peace of mind.
Watching the two of them walk away, Liu Zhiping furrowed her slender brows. "Senior Brother Xiang, Yang Kai is of critical importance. Wouldn't it be better to place him in the center army?"
The center army occupied the most important and safest position within an army corps. If Yang Kai could be placed there, it would naturally be easier to protect him.
In fact, this was something
Xiang Shan spoke slowly: "During the march, the center army is indeed safer. But when the battle begins, no position is safe. The battlefield is chaotic, and the only one you can truly rely on is yourself. Since he came here, he came to kill the enemy — and this kid has weathered many great storms. It won't be easy for him to meet his end."
If another Eighth-rank cultivator were in charge here, they might be more concerned about Yang Kai's safety and perhaps assign him to a safer position. But Xiang Shan was a straightforward man by nature. He had carved out a fearsome reputation against the
In his view, all soldiers were equal. Those who could kill the Ink Race were good soldiers. No one needed special care.
Yang Kai's safety was indeed of critical importance, but Xiang Shan had carefully studied Yang Kai's files beforehand. He knew this kid was proficient in the Laws of Space — on the battlefield, that was a life-saving asset. As long as he didn't do anything foolish, there wouldn't be much danger.
Seeing Xiang Shan so insistent, Liu Zhiping didn't press the matter further.
In less than half a day, both the Eastern and Western Armies had finished their preparations. Every commander's unit and every Guard was fully equipped and ready to march, their killing intent surging toward the heavens.
At this time, the Ink Race continued their assault on the pass, and it seemed they had even reinforced their forces. Fengyun Pass echoed ceaselessly with the sounds of fluctuating energy. Even with the various restrictions in place to block it, the tremors could not be fully contained.
Fengyun Pass originally had more than fifty thousand soldiers. Relying on a garrison that exceeded that of ordinary passes was enough to hold the position. However, in order to form the Dayan Eastern and Western Armies, fifteen thousand of those fifty-odd thousand had been pulled away.
In other words, the Fengyun Pass soldiers currently defending the pass numbered only thirty-five thousand.
While they could still hold Fengyun Pass by relying on the fortifications, on the battlefield they were being suppressed everywhere. The area the Fengyun Pass soldiers could now operate in was limited to ten thousand li within the pass — this was also the range over which the artifacts inside the pass could provide support. Beyond that distance, casualties would become significant.
The Human Race's sudden weakening greatly bolstered the morale of the Ink Race attacking the pass. Over all these years, on the frontal battlefield, they had never held such a commanding advantage. Though they didn't know why the Human Race's forces had dwindled so sharply, the Domain Lords overseeing this assault could see the hope of victory.