Chapter 448: 417: Battle from All Sides?

Chapter 448: Chapter 417: Battle from All Sides?

The military drill of the three armies is a routine practice in Beiting, mainly showcasing the training results of the time as well as allowing for exchanges of techniques. Noteworthy corps that perform exceptionally could be awarded more resources.

The recorded material from the drill, once edited, will be broadcasted in Beiting Base City and the eight Satellite Cities, demonstrating the formidable power of the human corps and stabilizing the public’s confidence.

On one side of the drill field, a high platform had been erected, fitted with several chairs… It wasn’t too formal since the audience consisted merely of Beiting’s upper echelon and some capable subordinates. However abundant they were, the seating was more than ample.

The attendees chose their seats at random, some preferring to stand.

Many cast curious and scrutinous looks towards Tang Yu and his group.

The drill promptly began.

It was divided into two main parts: a demonstration by the corps and sparring among masters.

From the Candle Dragon’s square formation, hundreds of Awakeners stepped out in succession.

Heads held high, chests out.

Their steps perfectly in sync.

Their presence, commanding.

Five hundred Awakeners stepped onto the sandy ground, and a kilometer away, a conspicuous target appeared. The narrator’s voice chimed in timely.

“…The metal plate is made of B-grade alloy with a thickness of 25mm which even a strike from one at the Awakening Tier Perfection could not penetrate.”

Tang Yu had anticipated as much.

He then saw the five hundred Candle Dragon Awakeners each extend their right hand.

They wore thick gloves with a red gem embedded in the palm, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.

The red gems glowed, Source Qi gathered around the formation, and a flame suddenly burst into the sky, quickly expanding hundreds of thousands of times in just a moment to form a massive fireball over two meters in diameter.

The roaring red flames danced, warping the air around them.

Tang Yu’s “Insight Eye” activated; he observed with intent focus.

The formation’s leader, an Awakener who had broken through to the Tenth Layer, held a strange weapon. He raised it high with both hands and, with a low shout, swung it forcefully downward.

The massive fireball above the formation shot out in a whoosh, directly hitting the distant target a kilometer away.

The ground trembled, dust filled the air far away.

Moments later, the target made of B-grade alloy had melted into molten iron, and on the ground, there was a deep crater over ten meters in diameter with smooth and even edges.

The spectacle might not have compared to a high explosive bomb, but the lethal power far exceeded it.

If such a strike hit its mark, slaying a Catastrophe Level Demonized Beast might even be possible.

Tang Yu envied them.

Joint spells were not uncommon; he had some too, but what he lacked were five hundred Fire Series ability users!

What followed were demonstrations of various combined magic attacks.

There was an Earth Series ability user squad that turned an area the size of a soccer field into a quicksand hell.

Wind and Fire Series worked together, creating a sweeping fire tornado.

There were also Combined Attack Skills, forming a formation nearly as impenetrable as iron walls and brass bulwarks.

They even showcased some new equipment Beiting used against Demonized Beasts.

It had to be acknowledged that if the Green Shadow Corps were elite, then Beiting’s Ancestor Dragon Three Armies were truly top-tier armies.

In this regard, the Territory still had a long way to go.

Tang Yu watched with great interest, activating his “Insight Eye” and analyzing the magic, Combat Skills, and weaponry demonstrated by the three armies.

If Beiting knew he had such a secret technique, they would never have invited him to observe the drill.

Only when his Source Power was nearly depleted did Tang Yu reluctantly close his “Insight Eye,” not daring to use a Potion to recover his Source Power.

The Ancestor Dragon Awakeners’ magic casting routes were completely captured by his eyes.

With more analysis, his skill application and improvements suddenly gained deeper insights.

“Perhaps in the future, when I have a more thorough grasp of Source Power circulation and my use of the ‘Insight Eye’ grows more proficient, a single glance will allow me to replicate Combat Skills/Magic and apply them myself.”

…

The first phase of the military drill of the three armies primarily focused on group combat strategies, like the cooperation between Awakeners and technological weapons or small troop advancement behind enemy lines.

It continued for over an hour before gradually drawing to a close.

Then the second phase began.

Master combatants from the Candle Dragon, Ying Dragon, and Azure Dragon Awakener armies squared off.

Before it even started, voices came from behind. Many turned around to look, and the Anti-Demon Bureau Chief Yao Jun stood up.

“Master Meng, you’ve arrived.”

“Welcome, Guardian God, for your guidance.”

“Elder Meng, please take a seat.”

Tang Yu turned to follow the voices.

In the forefront was a man in his thirties with a full head of silver hair.

His aura was completely concealed, his muscles well-proportioned, dressed in a loose Martial Arts uniform. At a glance, he looked like any ordinary person, but his every step was rhythmic, as if he merged with the universe—a subtlety only a master could detect.

Tang Yu was aware that it was Beiting’s Transcendent, Meng Jingran, Grandmaster Meng.

Though young in appearance, he was actually over ninety years old… but then again, Yan Dingtian was over two hundred years old.

Meng Jingran seemed to sense the unusual gaze upon him, glanced over, nodded slightly, and then strode to the front of the spectator seats.

…

The second stage of the Military Drill was a battlefield for top-notch experts.

There were no complicated and trivial procedures, no fancy and colorful moves, only combat skills honed to perfection.

“Candle Dragon Fourteenth Corps, Zhao Haibo, Tenth Layer of Awakening.”

“Ying Dragon Twenty-third Corps, Qian Dongming, Tenth Layer of Awakening.”

The two engaged in battle with real weapons, sparks flew, making a banging sound. In the footage captured by several high-definition cameras, they were almost just fleeting afterimages.

Now and then, the clashing of weapons could be heard and then vanish, only to reappear in the distance.

But most of the audience present had considerable strength; at the very least, their eyes could capture some of the afterimages to ensure they weren’t left seeing nothing.

A true battle often didn’t last long.

Moments later, the victor was decided.

“Candle Dragon, Zhao Haibo wins.”

…

“Ying Dragon, Xing Feng wins.”

…

“Azure Dragon, Li Ergou wins.”

…

Experts from the three great armies who battled were all breakthroughs to the Source Condensation Realm, with the aftermath of the fight able to alter the terrain.

Before long, the Military Drill field was pockmarked with countless pits of various sizes, resembling the surface of the moon at a glance.

Having recovered some Source Power, Tang Yu once again activated “Insight Eye.”

The combat skills of these Awakeners bore traits of military decisiveness, speed, and ruthlessness, along with the essence of Daxia’s Martial Arts, faintly showing traces of certain legacies.

But these traces were faint.

There were fewer Combat Skills unleashed during the battles, mostly just techniques like Heavy Slash Blood Slash.

It was unclear if Beiting lacked advanced Combat Skills or was merely holding back.

After every battle, Meng Jingran would offer his comments… As a Grandmaster of the Martial Path, his insights pointed out many flaws in the Ancestor Dragon Expert’s combat, which was the purpose of the Three Armies’ Military Drill. The Guardian God, despite his busy schedule, made time not only to watch the battles but also to offer guidance.

“How does Boss Tang find our Beiting warriors?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Tang Yu narrowed his eyes.

Lu Changhong approached with a smile, one would think that the two were close if they didn’t know better.

“Not bad.”

“That means…there’s quite a distance to ‘very good’ then… Well, I hear even the ‘Deceitful Thief’ was easily caught; Boss Tang really must have an army of strong individuals under him.”

Lu Changhong’s voice wasn’t soft, attracting some glances.

The Director of the Security Bureau stared intently at a young man among the Green Shadow team. Not having caught the ‘Deceitful Thief’ himself had been a constant source of embarrassment at the Beiting Council meetings.

And yet, it was said that a mere school student had captured him.

The Director of the Security Bureau’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Other high-ranking individuals had varying looks; some chose to maintain a good relationship with Green Shadow, naturally there were others who were displeased, either due to conflicting interests or being unable to tolerate an uncertain factor within the Defense Circle.

But they had their composure, and no one said anything at that moment.

Conflicts often happened behind the scenes.

Lu Changhong, the one who suffered the most damage to his interests, still wore a grin that was more forced than genuine.

He had already spread rumors in the dark, either defamatory or distracting the mercenaries’ attention, to hinder the spread of Green Shadow Transfer Station’s reputation. Many Awakeners remained skeptical of the highly praised rune equipment.

But Lu Changhong felt that what truly prevented Green Shadow from taking over the market wasn’t his behind-the-scenes moves but purely… Green Shadow’s insufficient production capacity.

Even so, over ten percent of his interests had already been siphoned off. If this continued…

“Since that’s the case, why not let your men, Boss Tang, give our Beiting warriors some guidance?”

The word ‘guidance’ was heavily accentuated by Lu Changhong.

First, he wanted to tear down Green Shadow’s façade of strength, then ally with some high-ranking officials to completely drive Green Shadow out of the Beiting market.

Others didn’t have Lu Changhong’s complicated thoughts, but his proposal suddenly gained a lot of support.

Intelligence indicated that Green Shadow had many experts.

And they had easily captured the ‘Deceitful Thief’ without a clear indication of how it was done.

Suddenly, more and more voices rose, hoping Green Shadow would join the Military Drill as a participant.

Yao Jun, who had just approached Meng Jingran, wore an awkward expression but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Tang Yu glanced at the smiling Lu Changhong, sensing the eagerness of many behind him to try, and nodded:

“Indeed, an exchange of pointers would be beneficial, fostering mutual improvement.”