Chapter 324 - 218: Mystery of the Royal Clan, Enigma of the War (2)

Chapter 324: Chapter 218: Mystery of the Royal Clan, Enigma of the War (2)

Further thought was useless. Perhaps the secret could only be unraveled on the day they completely conquered the Exotic Origin Realm.

The next day, Feng Hua took them to the front lines, briefing them on the current situation along the way.

In the Abyss, humanity used the black mist as a starting point and had since occupied more than half of the territory. Due to the volatile nature of the Abyss’s primordial energy, many areas were classified as forbidden zones, accessible only during specific times of the year.

As a result, the front lines had formed a pattern of three cities and twelve passes. Other locations were unsuitable for large-scale military operations.

Their next destination was Dragon Path Crossing, a forward position under the jurisdiction of Lin Yuan City.

Behind Dragon Path Crossing lay a vast plain where large quantities of supernatural crops were cultivated to feed the entire army.

The Yuan Demon race occupied the Echo Stone Forest, which lay ahead of Dragon Path Crossing.

A century ago, humanity pushed the front line up to the edge of the Echo Stone Forest, establishing a pass over a hundred kilometers long. This pass was flanked on both sides by forbidden zones, impassable for large armies.

For a hundred years since, the two sides had been locked in a bloody struggle at Dragon Path Crossing, with the Yuan Demons launching relentless, round-the-clock assaults against humanity.

The permanent garrison here consisted of about 100,000 troops. In addition, there were independent mercenary groups, numbering around 50,000, who rotated in and out or joined temporarily in pursuit of battle honors. This brought the total force to about 150,000.

The commanding general was an 8th-realm Grandmaster, supported by a dozen or so other Grandmasters.

Kong Sheng used to hold a similar position on the battlefield.

As their war chariot sped onward, they saw similar troop carriers and supply trucks on the road. Some vehicles were heading in their direction, while others were constantly turning back.

The road, paved with a grayish-white adhesive mixed with waste Crystal Stones, was bustling with traffic. On either side, lush, colorful crops grew in neat rows. Yu Fei noticed many Martial Artists in work uniforms tending to them.

’They’re probably employees from some of the major corporations.’

Humanity could never afford to abandon the interests at stake in the Border Realms. Their barren homeworld simply couldn’t support so many Martial Artists.

As for the front line... Yu Fei couldn’t imagine what a century-long war would look like. And now, he was about to become a part of it.

"Feng Hua, have we ever considered pushing our advantage further?"

Yu Fei asked curiously.

"We can’t. You’ll understand why soon. It has to do with a value known as the Cangyun Constant, proposed 150 years ago by the Martial Saint Cangyun."

"The constant is based on the straight-line distance between the black mist where we enter the Abyss and the black mist of the Yuan Demons. That distance is roughly 100,000 kilometers."

"Starting from our black mist, for every 100 kilometers we advance the front line, the overall strength of the Yuan Demons increases by 1% over their previous state. Their numbers and ranks change. That 1% value is the Cangyun Constant."

"Experiments over the years have largely confirmed this principle. That’s why we shifted from a strategy of offense to one of defense and dare not push any further."

Qin Hao didn’t get it. "Miss Feng, it’s just 1%, isn’t it? That’s not a big deal!"

Jiang Nianwei shot him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? A 1% increase every 100 kilometers means their strength nearly triples over 10,000 kilometers!" ℯℯ𝘭.

Qin Hao scoffed, "So what if we fight all the way to the Yuan Demons’ home turf by their black mist? That’s only a hundred thousand kilometers. Big deal. Their strength increases by, what, thirty times? Let’s be generous and call it fifty. If we gather forces from every Border Realm, we could still wipe the bastards out!"

Jiang Nianwei ignored him and scooted further away.

Yu Fei clapped Qin Hao on the shoulder. "You should really consider becoming a heavy-hitter type Martial Artist. I think you’ve got a natural talent for it!"

"Really? Boss, I was thinking the same thing!"

Ignoring Qin Hao, Yu Fei continued his questioning with Feng Hua. "So, what’s our current situation, then?"

"We hold a little more than half the territory. Based on our records, the Yuan Demons we’re facing are now more than 200 times stronger than they were initially!"

Yu Fei did a quick mental calculation, and a heavy feeling settled over him.

This kind of exponential growth seemed insignificant at first, but each subsequent step led to astronomical figures.

If humanity were to occupy 70 percent of the territory, the Cangyun Constant predicted that the Yuan Demons’ strength would be a thousand times their original level. That was four or five times their current strength, which was probably still manageable.

But if they pushed into the final stretch of territory, the Yuan Demons’ overall strength could skyrocket to over ten thousand times their original level—hundreds of times what it was now...

’This...’

Then another question occurred to him.

"Miss Feng, if we pull our front line back, does the Yuan Demons’ strength decrease?"

A look of approval appeared on Feng Hua’s face. Yu Fei was certainly quick on the uptake.

"No. We’ve run tests on that over the past century. Even if we retreat and give up territory we’ve already taken, the Yuan Demons’ strength doesn’t weaken. However, when we advance again, their power doesn’t increase further until we push past our previous high-water mark."

"So..."

Yu Fei’s brow furrowed. ’So unless we can wipe them out in one fell swoop, it’s better to maintain the status quo!’

"Can we still go into enemy-occupied territory, then?"

"Yes. Raids for treasures, assassinations, that’s all on the table. Through years of observation, we’ve learned that the Yuan Demons have certain benchmarks for what they consider ’occupied’ territory. The number of their important strongholds and the population of their mid-to-high-rank members are key factors."

Feng Hua gazed at the silhouette of Dragon Path Crossing, which was now coming into view. "So," she said slowly, "our current strategy is to maintain a defensive posture on the main front, holding back the Yuan Demons’ ceaseless attacks, while our elite units venture into enemy territory to gather resources and assassinate their mid-to-high-level personnel."

"This has been the grand strategy in the Abyss for the last several decades."

"We’re here..."

"This is Dragon Path Crossing!"

"I get it now!"

Qin Hao suddenly shouted.

Everyone was baffled. ’What could he possibly have figured out?’

Qin Hao said with a grave expression, "The rate of the Yuan Demons’ power increase must be multiplicative, not additive! This is terrifying! By the end, their strength could increase by a hundred trillion times!"

"Heh..."

Feng Hua chuckled. She hadn’t expected to find someone even denser than Hengji.

Jiang Nianwei immediately pulled Qin Hao aside to discuss the finer points of mathematics with him.

Yu Fei paid them no mind, his attention captured by the structures appearing up ahead.

In the distance, a sprawl of low-lying buildings appeared at the edge of the plain, all constructed from massive, cyan-gold stone blocks.

Beyond the buildings was an enormous training ground. And behind that, a magnificent hundred-meter-tall fortress wall rose from the earth, stretching from east to west like a section of a giant Great Wall, connecting the forbidden zones on either side.

The roar from the top of the pass was unceasing. Wing Demons circled in the sky, periodically getting shot down. The sounds of cannons, gunfire, and combat rose and fell in a constant din.

And yet, right in front of him was a bustling scene. All he could see were rows of eateries, taverns, tea houses, inns, apothecaries, and gunsmiths. People were even setting up stalls along the street. It was a picture of lively, mundane life.

Yu Fei even spotted signs for barbers, massages, and pedicures.

’Is this really a battlefield? Or just some rundown market town?’

Feng Hua led them through the main street to the edge of the training grounds, where she drove the vehicle into a large, dilapidated courtyard.

The place was spartan, with only ten or so rooms.

"It’s late, so get some rest tonight. Tomorrow at 0900, we’re heading to Wall Section 124 for guard rotation. You’ll need to hold the position for a week. Yu Fei, you’ll need to sort out the internal arrangements. Divide your people into two shifts and set aside a five-person rapid response team..."

"Chi Yu has prepared firearms, ammunition, and other supplies. You can handle the distribution in a bit..."

"Don’t practice any Cultivation Techniques tonight. Conserve your strength for battle..."

"In a bit, you, your deputy, and I will head out. I’ll get you familiar with the mission procedures and the lay of the land..."

Feng Hua was already rattling off instructions the moment he stepped out of the vehicle. Yu Fei shot a look at Jiang Nianwei, the Commander of his Yulin Army, who then stepped forward and surveyed the group.

"Squad leaders, step forward..."

In a matter of moments, she had delegated all the tasks.

Watching the Yulin Army spring into action, Feng Hua was both impressed and surprised as she looked at Yu Fei.

She couldn’t help but recall how her own Salted Fish Assault Team had been a frantic mess in a similar situation. If Kang Ming hadn’t been there to help her, the entire team’s morale might have collapsed.

Being the combat leader for a Celestial Pride Class and getting everyone to perform at their peak was no simple task.

It’s an age-old truth that winning people’s hearts is the hardest part. Being a good fighter isn’t enough.

Clearly, Yu Fei had been smart enough to find himself a capable deputy early on.

"Miss Feng, shall we? By the way, allow me to introduce my second-in-command: the Commander of the Yulin Army, first-year S-rank, Jiang Nianwei!"

...