Sea.
With the beginning of the third wave of attacks, the battle had fully entered a phase of maximum intensity.
On this battlefield that could no longer even be described as a meat grinder.
The sirens had barely managed to advance about two hundred meters on the front line.
After pushing the line to this point, the struggle between both sides became even more brutal.
The human cultivators had already arranged various formations in advance, as if they were mines waiting for the sirens to step on them and self-destruct.
These formations possessed extraordinary lethal power; any demonic beast below the Golden Core Realm died instantly upon touching them.
To break these formations, only demon cultivators of the Divine Transformation Realm who had already taken human form could intervene, or demons even stronger, in the Nascent Soul Realm.
"This left side has already been attacked four times. The core of the array has been located. You four cover me. I just need the time of one incense stick to break this formation," said a demon cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core Realm to his companions.
"Alright."
The demon cultivators were already covered in wounds, and their grim faces glared furiously at the formation blocking their way.
Dozens of flying swords moved within the formation. More than two hundred demonic beasts already lay dead inside, and even a demon cultivator of the Golden Core Realm had perished as well.
This kind of attack, as bloody as it was repulsive, had completely exhausted their patience.
After a brief rest, the five demon cultivators charged toward the formation together.
Four took on the task of defense, while one focused entirely on breaking the formation.
When the time of one incense stick had passed, the flying swords inside the formation fell to the ground one by one, a sign that the formation had been successfully destroyed.
The four defenders were severely wounded.
One had a hole in his chest caused by a flying sword, and another had lost an arm.
"Let's go."
After completing their task, the five quickly retreated and ordered the demonic beasts to continue the assault.
Back at the rear, the five pulled from their storage rings the spiritual pills previously distributed, trying to heal their wounds.
But after ingesting just one pill, although the wounds began to heal, the pace of recovery was incredibly slow.
"What's going on? Isn't this Sea Flower working properly?"
After finishing his treatment, the demon cultivator with the severed arm frowned, his face pale.
"I also feel like it's not working as it should."
"Are you sure this is a hundred-year-old Sea Flower?"
"A hundred-year-old Sea Flower is much more effective than this. This one surely doesn't have the right age."
"Damn bastard in charge of supplies! He dares to scam us even with this? We're going to make him pay."
The Golden Core Realm demon cultivators were growing more and more furious.
They risked their lives on the front lines, on the edge of life and death.
And even then, they dared to cut back on their medicine?
After a brief discussion, they angrily went to look for the one in charge of logistics.
Upon arriving at the supply pavilion, they stormed in and shouted at the chief secretary of the camp.
"Secretary Huang, why aren't the Sea Flowers you gave us a hundred years old? What kind of trash do you think we're going to heal with this low-grade stuff?"
The so-called Secretary Huang was a fat man with a face shiny with grease, and two goatee-like whiskers that gave him a rather repulsive look.
He belonged to the spinning turtle race, and his small turtle eyes slowly scanned the group before speaking lazily:
"What's with all the yelling? Do you think I'm deaf?"
"So we can't even say anything when the Sea Flower is defective? Look at our wounds! We're risking our lives for the Sea, and you can't even give us proper medicine?"
The demon with the severed arm grew more furious with every word and threw the flowers he hadn't yet ingested to the ground in front of Secretary Huang.
"See for yourself this garbage! What's the difference between sending this to the front or sending us to die?"
"Watch your tone. If there's one thing I hate, it's people being disrespectful to me."
Secretary Huang's face turned dark. His pressure as a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm made the five feel a weight on their chests.
Slowly, he reached down and picked up the flowers from the ground.
After examining them carefully, he clicked his tongue twice—
"This is, at most, fifty years old."
"And you still have something to say? You're the one responsible for distributing them!"
The demon cultivator with the severed arm spoke furiously, though with less firmness than before.
"Yes, I was the one who distributed them. So what? I gave you hundred-year-old Sea Flowers, the best quality."
"Who knows if you didn't secretly sell the better ones in exchange for spirit stones, and now you come here picking a fight with lower-grade ones?"
Secretary Huang sneered coldly and countered.
"You're saying we're trying to turn the tables on you and blackmail you over a few Sea Flowers?"
The one-armed demon was so furious he was about to explode and shouted:
"Clearly you're lining your own pockets! We won't accept this. My brothers and I won't accept it. We're going to report you!"
"Go ahead. If you don't know the way, this official can escort you."
Secretary Huang smiled coldly, completely indifferent to the cultivator's threat.
"Brothers, let's go!
The demon no longer intended to retreat. He had given everything for them on the battlefield, and receiving this kind of treatment was something he couldn't accept.
With faces full of resentment, the five of them left and headed toward an underwater city located hundreds of kilometers away.
For the war, more than ten large underwater cities had been built three hundred kilometers off the coast in the Sea.
In addition to serving as supply depots, some key offices were also located there.
Upon arrival, they flew directly toward a residence, and once in front of the door, they began to beat the drum and shout:
"We want to see the commander! We've come to file a complaint!"
After a moment, the door opened by itself, and the five, led by the demon with the amputated arm, rushed inside.
Upon seeing the high commander, the five knelt down in unison and shouted:
"We beg the commander to grant us justice!"
"What is the matter?"
The commander was a demonic cultivator with a refined and scholarly appearance. His position showed he was of the highest level—one of the Divine Transformation-level demonic cultivators, the most powerful.
"Secretary Huang has cut down our supplies to enrich himself...!"
The one-armed demonic cultivator gritted his teeth as he explained what had happened, and the other demonic cultivators beside him brought out Sea Flowers that clearly weren't old enough.
These aren't even a hundred years old—their value is a hundred times less!
The military officer took one of the flowers, observed it closely, and crushed it in his hand, turning it into powder that immediately dispersed. Then, he issued a voice transmission message.
Not long after, Secretary Huang hurriedly arrived from outside. He clasped his hands and bowed to the military officer.
"Greetings, Sir Military Officer."
"Secretary Huang, they say that you tampered with military payments, replacing hundred-year-old Sea Flowers with trash barely fifty years old. Is that true?"
Asked the military officer.
"Yes, I switched them."
Secretary Huang smiled and nodded slightly.
The five kneeling demonic cultivators showed an expression of outrage, glaring with hatred at the damn fat man.
The military officer, with an expressionless face, asked, "Why did you do that?"
"When I gave them the supplies, I didn't reduce the quantity, only the quality. Only then can they understand how harsh war truly is."
"You deliberately reduced the quality?"
"Yes, it was to strengthen their fighting spirit."
"Was it intentional or accidental?"
"It was intentional."
Secretary Huang wore a proud expression.
The military officer nodded, as if he had suddenly understood something, and looked at the one-armed demonic cultivators.
"Well, you heard what Secretary Huang said—he did it for your own good. War isn't child's play; you must learn to endure hardships and forge your will. Only then will you have the chance to become great demons in the future, understood?"
"..."
The one-armed demonic cultivators nearly exploded with rage on the spot.
They took the resources that could save their lives?
And still claimed it was for their own good?
"Do you have any other problems?"
Asked the military officer.
"We disagree!"
The one-armed demonic cultivators shouted furiously.
"You disagree? Ten days ago, you received a mission. You were supposed to lead the team and destroy five formations, advancing one meter in the battle line."
"According to the requirements, you should have completed it within seven days, but due to your cowardice, you delayed it until today."
"Originally, this officer considered that fighting on the front lines isn't easy and didn't want to settle scores with you."
"But if you insist on making trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Secretary Huang gave them a cold look and warned them in a sinister tone.
"Delaying the battle opportunity is undoubtedly a capital offense."
The military officer added slowly.
The one-armed demonic cultivators, still kneeling on the ground, stared blankly at the two of them, filled with rage and despair.
After a moment of silence, one of them wiped his tears with his only arm, stood up without a word, and left with his companions.
After the five left, the military officer smiled slightly as he looked at Secretary Huang.
"Just now, some distinguished guests were drinking and having fun at my residence. Come with us."
"Sir Military Officer, please lead the way."
Secretary Huang knew perfectly well who the "distinguished guests" the officer referred to were, so he quickly smiled and followed him.
At that moment, in the backyard of the military officer's residence, several demonic cultivators were drinking and exchanging toasts at the banquet, each accompanied by beautiful demon women of the multicolored race, in an atmosphere full of lust and indulgence.
When the military officer and Secretary Huang arrived, Tang Yu, seated at the table, invited them:
"Gentlemen, welcome! Please, sit, sit, try this exquisite liquor from the surface. To get it, this brother went through a lot of trouble. Later, I'll send ten jars to each of you."
"Brother Situ is very thoughtful."
The military officer burst out laughing and quickly took a seat, raising his cup:
"Since it's surface liquor, the first cup is for Brother Situ. In the future, if any profitable business comes up, don't forget us."
"Brother Situ is powerful and resourceful. From now on, we'll follow him without hesitation."
"I'll drink first!"
Everyone stood up to toast, not hiding their flattering attitude.
Tang Yu also stood up and returned the toasts one by one, speaking politely and enthusiastically.
The demonic cultivators present were at least at the Nascent Soul Realm.
They all came from the ten great races, had internal connections within their clans, and held important positions.
After quickly luring them in with spirit stones, beautiful women, and magical treasures, they carried out their first deal together.
They took a large quantity of hundred-year-old Sea Flowers from the warehouse and sent them to the Litang Sect.
Half were used to refine pills, solving the shortage of medicine on the human cultivator side.
The other half were sent back to the Treasure Tower, where reselling them yielded ten times the profit.
As a reward for these traitors, just the first round of dividends that Tang Yu handed out exceeded eight thousand high-grade spirit stones.
Moreover, Tang Yu also did everything he could to provide them with the resources they needed.
With all that, how could they not give it their all?
Perhaps the war wouldn't be won.
But the benefits in hand were very real. Turning them into cultivation resources and leveling up—how could that not be tempting?
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