"How did you do it? How could you have possibly guessed their movements in advance?" Fang Yu'er asked, unable to comprehend it. Without any prior warning, how could Lin Yun have known all of this?
Lin Yun had already prepared his explanation.
"You should be aware that when Fang Wenhe knew we were attacking, he didn't choose to regroup with the main force to report the news. Instead, he took his own men and fled in another direction. From that point alone, it was clear that the Crimson Ghost Sect must have had some other way of knowing that Maoshan Village had fallen."
Fang Yu'er's eyes widened. "You deduced that they would ambush us here from such a small detail?"
"Although the Crimson Ghost Sect has made a big move this time, the number of troops they can spare is certainly not enough. Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to send you to Wangjing to deceive Prince Zuo Cheng. So, when they learned that our main force was heading this way, they were left with only one option."
Everything was within Lin Yun's calculations. No matter how capable these people were, they were now forced to play by his rules.
After hearing Lin Yun's explanation, Fang Yu'er was filled with an even deeper sense of admiration for him. An ordinary person could never have possessed such brilliant methods, yet Lin Yun had accomplished this with ease.
"I see. So everything was under your control. Those people thought they were being clever, but they still couldn't escape your scheme."
The current Fang Yu'er had completely let go of her past. After getting rid of Fang Wenhe, she no longer had anything holding her back. Now, what she felt for Lin Yun was, more than anything, a profound admiration. No one else could have done what he did. The number of surprises Lin Yun had brought her, all by himself, was simply too great.
The battle didn't last long. Lin Yun knew that the forces dispatched this time were merely the lowest-ranking disciples of the Crimson Ghost Sect. They had originally intended to use these disciples to wear down the strength of the army from Wangjing as much as possible. They never expected to be counter-attacked by Lin Yun instead.
As a result, the strength of the Crimson Ghost Sect would be greatly weakened. Although a portion of them still managed to flee in disarray, to Lin Yun, that was no longer important. As long as they passed through this canyon, they could advance unimpeded into Maoshan.
Meanwhile, back at the Crimson Ghost Sect's main camp, news of the failed ambush quickly arrived. In the battle, Hao Dehai had fled in disarray, and of the several thousand disciples sent out, nearly half had been killed. Although this wasn't a devastating blow to the Crimson Ghost Sect, such heavy casualties were still vexing.
However, within the main camp, everyone had different ideas.
Inside a large tent, several white-haired old men were seated around a circular table. One of them, an elder in a cyan robe, spoke loudly.
"The most pressing matter now is to retrieve the treasure from within the tomb. As long as we have that item, we can command the most powerful existence in the entire Daye Dynasty."
An elder in a gray robe next to him retorted, "Xun Zhesheng, do you really think it's that simple? Not to mention we still haven't clearly investigated what kind of monsters are in that tomb. Of the many people we've sent down, barely twenty percent have managed to come back alive. And now you want all of us to go down? Are you trying to get us all killed?"
Hearing this, Xun Zhesheng immediately shot back, "Gan Botao, it's just a matter of a few deaths! Great exploration is always accompanied by sacrifice. Do you really think we can explore a tomb of this magnitude without losing a single person? You old fossil, your thinking is far too simple."
Gan Botao was unwilling to show weakness. He slammed his hand on the table. "Then you had better think clearly! The army dispatched by Wangjing this time numbers at least fifty thousand. If those people approach our main camp, we will have no path of retreat! Do you still think you can emerge from that tomb and escape unscathed? Even if an old thing like you can get away, can the rest of our people escape? Our Crimson Ghost Sect is large, but we cannot withstand such attrition."
Gan Botao and Xun Zhesheng argued incessantly, but neither of them was wrong. One side believed that if they could obtain the treasure from the tomb ahead of time, the sect's power would instantly soar. Gan Botao's point was also correct: even if they did get the treasure, the disciples outside would likely be all but wiped out. The Crimson Ghost Sect had never been short on manpower, but that didn't mean they could afford such losses.
Seeing the two of them about to continue their argument, a woman in a red robe, who had been sitting to the side, finally spoke.
"The two elders should quiet down. Your bickering is giving me a headache."
The woman's voice was clear and cold, yet it held an authority that could not be questioned.
Gan Botao and Xun Zhesheng immediately sat down. "May we know what suggestion the Saintess has?"
Seeing how obedient the two of them were, the woman let out a cold snort. "Since you know that I am the Saintess of the Crimson Ghost Sect, then you should understand that this matter also has its priorities. As far as I know, although the army dispatched by Wangjing is not weak, in our eyes, they are ultimately nothing more than ants."
After speaking, the woman slowly stood up. "Pass on my order."
"Open… the Ten Thousand Ghost Formation!"
A moment ago, Gan Botao and Xun Zhesheng had been arguing about what to do next. But upon hearing the Saintess's answer, their expressions instantly became incomparably grave.
The Ten Thousand Ghost Formation!
This was one of the most sinister techniques of the entire Crimson Ghost Sect. But just as the Saintess had said, the current situation had its own priorities. The army dispatched by Wangjing, though formidable, had not yet reached an unbeatable level. As long as they were prepared, they could still annihilate them in one fell swoop.
It was just that this Ten Thousand Ghost Formation was… too insane!
"Your Holiness, the Saintess… if we really use the Ten Thousand Ghost Formation, the surrounding several hundred li will be turned into a mass grave!"
The process of casting this formation was extremely complex and required a massive amount of manpower and resources. Moreover, once it was used, the surrounding land for hundreds of li would be devoid of all life for a hundred years.
The Saintess looked at them coldly. "What, do the two elders have a better method?"
That one glance was enough to make Gan Botao and Xun Zhesheng back down.
"If that is the case, then we will follow the Saintess's arrangements. We will go and prepare at once."
Although they felt it was madness, they didn't dare say another word and hastily excused themselves.
Meanwhile, Lin Yun had just passed through the canyon. When he glanced at his panel, his expression instantly became grim.
These people… had they truly gone insane?