Chapter 695: Battle Intent Pierces the Heavens
Xiao Ze's declaration left Grand Commander Feng Huo stunned.
"Lord Xiao Ze, do you mean to have the Great Daluo Army engage in internal battle drills?"
Xiao Ze shook his head slightly, turning to Feng Huo. "Not exactly. To be frank, I'm here to attempt cultivating as a war formation master."
"I need an army to work with, to synchronize and master the control of battle intent."
Feng Huo's eyes flickered in surprise. "A war formation master?"
As someone well versed in battle, Feng Huo was no stranger to the legends of war formation masters cultivators who could unleash an army's full potential.
Ordinary commanders could harness only a fraction of their troops' collective battle intent, at most 10 or 20 percent.
A war formation master, however, could fully command and wield an army's battle intent, transforming it into an unstoppable force.
The fact that the Territory Lord herself entrusted Xiao Ze with such an ambitious goal reflected her immense faith in him.
"However, gaining the Great Daluo Army's trust and commanding their battle intent for training as a war formation master in such a short time will be difficult," Xiao Ze admitted.
Feng Huo nodded in agreement. Every soldier in the Great Daluo Army had undergone grueling trials to earn their place, enduring the harsh training of the Daluo Flame Pool.
It was nearly impossible to make them acknowledge an unfamiliar, suddenly appointed Supreme Commander in such a brief span.
Xiao Ze's next words, however, left the usually composed Feng Huo wide eyed in astonishment.
"In that case, we'll do things the military way. I'll challenge the entire Great Daluo Army to a battle. Let me see firsthand the strength of Daluo Heaven's finest."
Feng Huo opened his mouth to protest but was silenced by the wave of pressure emanating from Xiao Ze.
His face paled. This aura… Supreme Realm, late stage!
"I understand! We'll proceed as you wish, Lord Xiao Ze!"
Feng Huo immediately began gathering the entire Great Daluo Army, informing them of Xiao Ze's intentions without any sugarcoating.
The military was a straightforward environment. Feng Huo explained plainly: this drill was Xiao Ze's way of earning the army's respect and establishing his authority as Supreme Commander.
His candid approach had the desired effect, rousing a wave of defiance among the soldiers.
The Great Daluo Army prided itself on being Daluo Heaven's most elite force, and its members saw themselves as the pinnacle of military might.
Now, Xiao Ze, an outsider, was challenging them singlehandedly. Even though he was appointed Supreme Commander by the Territory Lord herself, such audacity was hard to swallow.
Soon, the soldiers, led by their respective commanders, gathered swiftly.
Watching the retreating figure of Feng Huo, Xiao Ze couldn't help but smirk.
This Grand Commander was quite clever supporting Xiao Ze's authority on the surface while secretly uniting the soldiers against him.
By doing so, Feng Huo both rallied the army and positioned himself as their ally, adeptly navigating between both sides.
As the assembly horn echoed, even the soldiers training deep within the Daluo Flame Pool emerged, leaping out of the molten lava.
Xiao Ze observed the nearly thousand strong army composed entirely of Supreme Realm cultivators, each exuding an imposing aura.
Indeed, this was the most powerful force under the Daluo Territory.
Comparing them to the realms of the Dou Qi Continent, it was akin to an army of a thousand Dou Di experts.
In the original story, it was said that only Mandala and the three monarchs could rival this army's might.
A thousand Supremes united could contend with a late stage Supreme expert, a feat almost unheard of.
In the Great Thousand World, the gap between each tier of the Supreme Realm was vast.
Only rare prodigies with overwhelming talent and resources could cross one or two tiers.
Crossing an entire stage, however, was nearly impossible except through the power of battle formations.
The Great Thousand World's war formation techniques were extraordinary, explaining their pivotal role in the ancient wars against the Extraterritorial Evil Race.
Standing with hands clasped behind his back, Xiao Ze watched as the army finished assembling.
The Great Daluo Army was divided into five battalions, each led by one of the five commanders.
Though the army's quality far surpassed that of other forces, the absence of a war formation master meant it could not operate as a unified whole. Instead, it was split into five units, each led separately.
"Battle!"
A roar of battle intent erupted, shaking the heavens. Even the lava below churned into waves, and every soldier's eyes burned with fighting spirit.
"Come at me," Xiao Ze said with a calm smile.
The commanders exchanged glances. Two of them, standing on the flanks, acted first, unleashing a wave of terrifying battle intent.
Their combined power manifested as two jet black spears, each a hundred feet long, streaking toward Xiao Ze at lightning speed.
The spears tore through the air, leaving cracks in their wake an incredible feat, given the Great Thousand World's sturdy spatial fabric.
Such an attack demonstrated the sheer might of their battle intent.
Yet Xiao Ze simply raised a finger and flicked.
Two serpent like spatial rifts emerged, snapping their tails as they collided with the spear tips.
Boom!
The black spears shattered into fragments, releasing a shockwave that tore through the skies, scattering the clouds.
The Great Daluo Army gaped in disbelief, their astonishment mirrored by Feng Huo's grave expression.
"Spatial mastery… Eight star Supreme!"
Feng Huo muttered, his voice trembling.
Although he had sensed Xiao Ze's power earlier, he had assumed him to be at the seven star Supreme level.
Now, it was clear Xiao Ze had reached the eighth tier surpassing even the three monarchs of Daluo Heaven, whose strength was publicly known to be at the seven star level.
"Do not hold back," Xiao Ze called out, his voice steady.
"If I dared challenge the Great Daluo Army, I came prepared to back it up."
His gaze swept over the assembled soldiers, his smile widening.
For his first battle in the Great Thousand World, there could be no more fitting opponents than this legendary army.
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