Linley was dressed in a sky-blue robe. As he moved through the skies, the long robe fluttered, ruffled by the wind. Behind him, those ten Six Star Fiends were also dressed in uniforms of various colors. While engaging in battle outside, if they were all dressed in the same uniform, it would be too obvious and would result in them being easily discovered by the enemy.
“Everyone, be careful. Our target this time is a squad of the Barbary clan. No matter what, don’t let them discover us. Just fly close to the ground.” Linley instructed, while at the same time, he himself flew downwards, moving close to the surface of the ground. The ten squadmates followed suit.
“Don’t worry, Captain. We won’t go out of our way to engage in battle. They won’t be able to find out.” Melina laughed.
Go out of their way to engage in battle?
Linley couldn’t help but think back to some information the Grand Elder had given him before battle had begun. Both the Four Divine Beasts clan as well as the eight great clans used ambushes, and also laid in wait for the enemy to draw near.
If, for example, the Four Divine Beasts clan didn’t want to fight, they would simply hide in the Skyrite Mountains, and there would be nothing the eight great clans could do about it.
If the eight great clans remained in their own territory and didn’t come out, the Four Divine Beasts clan wouldn’t go to them either.
However…
The eight great clans hated the Four Divine Beasts clan to the core, and the reverse was true as well! Thus, they intentionally challenged each other to battle, time and time again! Neither side would hide. Both sides knew that this was a war of attrition, but the eight great clans were willing to engage in this sort of war, while the Four Divine Beasts clan was too proud and unwilling to submit.
“The eight great clans is quite interesting. Each time, they’ll take predefined routes. This is just a naked challenge.” Linley said to himself.
Of the eight great clans, four of them were located at the eastern edges of Indigo Prefecture, while four were at the western edges of Indigo Prefecture. They were all very unified. They were worried that if they split up, the Four Divine Beasts clan would break them one by one.
But by dividing up in this manner, there was no way the Four Divine Beasts clan would be able to do so.
In addition…
The eight great clans on each side of Indigo Prefecture would often send squads of experts on round trip patrols. Each trip, they would take one of two predefined routes. Any members of the Four Divine Beasts clan they met on the way would be killed!
Sometimes, they would even engage in ambushes at the outer perimeter of the Skyrite Mountains.
“How could my Four Divine Beasts clan possibly swallow this sort of provocation? They are so arrogant as to take predetermined routes. If we just accept this, the Four Divine Beasts clan will become a laughingstock.” Linley understood that in their battles, the enemies were the proactive challengers. After all, their experts were simply too numerous.
After flying for roughly three days, Linley’s group reached their destination, an intelligence outpost located near the predetermined route. Linley glanced at a distant sand dune, which wasn’t very remarkable in this desolate, barren area.
“You can come out.” Linley said calmly.
This intelligence outpost had been provided by the Grand Elder.
The sand dune twisted, and then a figure emerged from within it. It was a very slender, yellow-robed youth. The yellow-robed youth, momentarily puzzled, glanced at Linley, who with a laugh, extended his hand, revealing the Elder’s medallion within.
“Greetings, Elder.” The youth said hurriedly.
“When will the forces of the Barbary clan arrive?” Linley asked.
This intelligence outpost relied on using some special methods, as well as two divine clones in separate locations, to be able to quickly provide intelligence reports. This allowed intelligence reports to be transmitted very quickly. Even over a distance of a hundred million kilometers, the receiver would have the information as soon as the sender sent it.
“To be precise, it is presumed forces of the Barbary clan.” The intelligence agent said. “The presumed forces of the Barbary clan are still millions of kilometers away. Based on their advancing speed, in one or two days, they will arrive here.”
Linley nodded.
“You said, presumed? Can it be that you are not yet completely certain that it is the forces of the Barbary clan?” Linley asked, rather concerned.
“There’s no way to be absolutely certain. That squad, according to our intelligence reports, is primarily made up of water-type experts, but there are two who are not. We are only able to provisionally identify them as members of the Barbary clan, but it is also possible that this is a joint squad formed from two clans.” The youth said.
Linley frowned.
A mixed squad? This was exceedingly rare.
This was because the Elders of the Four Divine Beasts clan generally carried a drop of Sovereign’s Might on them. Once they no longer cared about life and death and activated that drop of Sovereign’s Might and went all out, even a Seven Star Fiend opponent would be doomed.
Thus, the enemy preferred to fight one-on-one. Only in a special circumstance, for example when the target was a Patriarch or Grand Elder level figure, would they send out a joint squad.
“You can stand down for now.” Linley instructed.
“The rest of you, follow me.” Linley flew into the air, and the ten Six Star Fiends followed.
The intelligence agent raised his head, watching them fly away. In his heart, he murmured, “Clansmen, you must win.” As an intelligence agent, he too walked that fine line between life and death. If he were to be discovered by the enemies, the enemies wouldn’t hesitate at all to kill him.
In addition, most of these intelligence agents were very weak.
Their only hope was that experts like Linley would avenge them if they were killed!
A few thousand kilometers away from the intelligence outpost, Linley’s group came to a halt, hiding themselves within a mountain forest. Everyone had very grave expressions on their faces. They all knew that once battle begin, they would very possibly die.
“Captain. When the enemies come, what is our plan?” The big fellow, ‘Shanda’, asked. The other squadmates looked at Linley as well.
“The first target is the enemy’s Seven Star Fiend.” Linley laughed calmly. “Ambushing is pointless. Given their divine sense, they’ll be able to locate us. You just need to wait here. Once the enemies draw near, you can fly into my Blackstone Space and begin battle against them.”
“Us, fly in?” Immediately, some squadmates grasped Linley’s meaning. “Captain, you aren’t going to attack alongside us?”
If they were to remain together, Linley would naturally include them within the Blackstone Space, and thus there was no need for them to ‘fly in’.
“Right. I’ll go ambush them.” Linley laughed.