Following their talk, Yueshi made a few suggestions.
First, they would divide themselves into the attack and support squads, the first would fight head-on against the beasts under the wall, while the latter would stay on the wall and lend them a hand.
The attack squad would be further divided into sword legion and shield legion, taking the place of the attack and defense legions.
The sword legion would be under Yueshi’s command, the shield legion would be under Mu Baiyun, and the support legion would be led by Xuahua and Jiang Yao.
The last had two commands because Xuehua was stronger, and her Heavenly Hands were truly helpful; however, Jiang Yao was far more experienced.
Moreover, in the remaining time, they would do a joint exercise, separating the other thirty or so people amongst the three squads and training together to cooperate well.
For that, they would use the region outside the village and a bit farther away from the traps. However, remaining close to the village was a must, since the Heavens' Will could cause trouble anytime.
Other than that, they would also try to find more people to join them, and try contacting the members from the Rising Phoenix Association and see if they were willing to cooperate.
Everyone nodded at his suggestions since no one was a born leader. They had no opinions or new ideas that could help, clearly showing their lack of leadership and experience. Moreover, Yueshi's ideas were not bad per se.
Like that, other than Xiao Yao that would continue doing what he was good at, everyone had something to do.
Mu Baiyun and Yuan Yue would be responsible for finding more people and talking with the Rising Phoenix Association.
Yueshi and Tian Tian would coordinate the attack squad training while Xuehua and Jiang Yao trained the support squad.
It would have been perfect if they had Baiyun leading and training the defense legion, however, he had good social skills - better than any of the rest - so the job of making alliances was also perfect for him.
Under Baiyun's suggestion, Bei Lao would be contacting the novice alchemists and trying to get a fell more healing pills and stamina recovery pills. While Xiao Yao could concoct them, his time would be better spent making toxic bombs.
Lastly, the twin sisters would collect information and find about the other associations’ plans.
They were fast and good at sneaking around, so Yueshi was relieved at leaving such a job to them. However, this was not something he devised, instead, it was Yuan Yue's recommendation.
While information about the city was easy to find, what the others were planning wasn't. Since there were quite a few seniors, they had all sorts of strange treasures, and knowing the overall strength of their side was also important.
With that out of the way and standing side by side, Yueshi and Tian Tian exchanged glances.
Behind the two of them, there were eight people, and they were the members of the sword legion. In front of them, a few meters away, there were another twenty, and they were the shield legion and the support squad.
This training was quite simple. The ten of them would attack, aiming at the people from the support squad, and the members of the shield legion would have to defend them.
At the same time, the ones from the support squad would need to help them out, until one of the sides was defeated.
And while Yueshi’s side seemed to be at a disadvantage, that was a brutal misconception. With the two monsters - Yueshi and Tian Tian - among them, it was hard to say who would win.
--- - -
Mu Baiyun was big and bulky and, when he stood by Yuan Yue’s side, the contrast was great, as she was small and slender.
However, while their figures were different, their skills in dealing with people were both great. As the son of a merchant, Baiyun had been tutored from a young age about social interaction.
Meanwhile, Yuan Yue some sort of natural charm to her that easily broke past someone’s defenses.
Right now, they were standing with another man and woman.
“Senior Sister Huan, our Soaring Dragon Association is new, however, we have five people at the third stage and two genius assassins in the late second stage. Cooperating with us will bring you many benefits.” Baiyun spoke softly, exposing the benefits of the cooperation.
"On the other side, acting alone will give you many troubles. The Rising Phoenix Association has fewer people here than the Heavens' Will, so it will be truly hard to surpass them if you fight by yourselves." Then, Yuan Yue exposed the disadvantages of not working with them.
The man and the woman exchanged glances, and could only sigh before nodding.
Seeing it, Yuan Yue smiled playfully, comforting them, shamelessly boasting that they made the right choice and that the Soaring Dragon Association was a great partner.
--- - -
Just like Yueshi and the other had rented a house as a meeting place, a few other associations had done the same. It not only offered privacy, but it was also more comfortable and silent than the village’s pub.
By now, it was already night, yet, quite a few people were still awake, working, or chatting. Amongst them, the Wild Wolves Association, a medium-sized association, was having a meeting in their own, rented headquarter.
Suddenly, two shadows in the street shook and two figures flashed away - as if coming from inside of the darkness.
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With light steps, they moved across the roads, jumped above a few ceilings, and finally landed on the ceiling of the Wild Wolves' headquarter; then, with soft movements, they unlocked the window on the second floor, before slipping inside.
Encroaching into the darkness, they moved toward the stairs, where they stood in silence, their breaths light and inaudible.
Then, without anyone noticing, they heard the Wild Wolves plan their course of action and how they would fight when the beast horde arrived.
After the meeting ended, they left just as they came, like the soft, untraceable wind.
In his room, Xiao Yao was completely focused on a small tripod furnace standing in front of him.
His eyes glowed bright and with sharpness as a weak greenish fire was reflected on his pupils. While he watched the fire burn, his hands moved fast and with precision, throwing inside all sorts of materials.
Suddenly, the qi inside of his body moved as he touched the furnace. After he infused his qi on it, changes started to take place as the materials started to mix and change shape.
He controlled his qi perfectly, and when a small strand of green smoke reached his nostrils, his lips arched into a smile.
--- - -
Bei Lao was standing in front of a small stall, watching as a young man spoke with another customer. They seemed to be on a fiery debate, discussing the price of the merchandise.
After that person left, it was finally his turn, so he approached with calm steps and an even face.
“How many pills do you have?” Acting tough, he did not even spare the guy a glance, as if he was some big shot.
“Ten healing pills and seven stamina recovery pills. A hundred coins each, no less.” That person frowned, before speaking.
Bei Lao's cold gaze intensified. "Do you think you are some master alchemist? Your pills have many flaws and it got fifty percent of impurity, yet you want a hundred coins?"
Obviously, such information came from Xiao Yao, as he did not even know how to distinguish between a top-grade pill and a low-grade one.
The young man's face turned pale as he looked around, worried about the other customers hearing their conversation.
“Fifty coins each, I can’t go any lower!” He gave in immediately, and Bei Lao paid and left.
As he left, he wondered why Jiang Yao had told him to act cold and though, just like an arrogant prick. He also wondered if she liked this sort of guy and if he should be more like this in the future.
What he did not know was that she was just afraid he would hook up with some female novice alchemist, and wanted to scare them away.
--- - -
Time passed by fast, and soon the day the horde would arrive had come.
One could hear beasts roaring in the forest, while a few roamed too far and charged toward the village - only to be immediately killed by the disciples.
At the same time, almost everyone was already standing above the walls, waiting for the big moment.
The leaders had all decided they would first toss whatever expendable items they had, since things like bombs and liquid fire could harm both sides.
On that note, Xiao Yao was a true genius. He had developed his poison bombs in such a way that he managed to make them only harmful to creatures - which was something out of the scope of novices.
After the expendables were used, the disciples would then confront the beasts. An area had been specifically prepared between the traps and the walls so that their movement would not be hindered.
That aside, Yueshi and his group were also standing in the walls, watching the trees far away shake while they felt the ground tremble.
Everyone was agitated as excitement and anxiety mixed into even more complex emotions.
However, they also knew that they did everything they could have done, and now, it was time to fight.
Other than Yueshi’s group that had expanded to sixty people after their preparations, close to them stood the woman and the man from the Rising Phoenix Association.
They’d be fighting side by side and helping each other out, bringing their force to almost one hundred people – close to a sixth of all the disciples.
Standing in front of his comrades, Yueshi looked at them.
“They are coming, and we will teach them they should never have left the forest.” His words were not awe-inspiring, and he did not have the aura of a leader.
But oh, well, after being beaten by Yueshi, everyone trusted in his abilities.
Then, Yueshi looked once more toward the forest. He was determined to fight with all he had, to slaughter any beast in his path. He was resolute, and though it was a different resolution from the one related to Yuan Yue, it was also an unshakable determination.
‘I will not betray those that believe in me and I will protect those that rely on me. Whatever comes, I will face it all! And I will let them’ he observed his peers, ‘know they did not make the wrong choice!’
Vowing to himself, Yueshi readied his spear, prepared to carve a path of blood and bones through this battlefield!
heir heavy steps were like explosions, echoing far and wide. As they ran amok in the direction of the village, the verdant green grass was destroyed and the ground caved under their enormous weight.
Thousands of beasts agglomerated together, marching forward like a single entity… it was like a deadly avalanche falling unstoppably while leaving an enormous curtain of dust behind it.
Seeing them approach, the disciples gulped, the blood in their bodies boiling and their hearts skipping a beat.
It was to the point they felt they could hear their comrades’ hearts beating together with their own. The sound echoed like an orchestra in their delusional hearts, somehow lifting their spirits in the face of the endless sea of beasts.
Suddenly, the beasts at the very front started to fall out of nowhere. Before they could even get back on their feet, the ones behind stepped on them, killing them on the spot.
That was one of the few traps that had been prepared – they dug holes here and there, making the creatures trip and fall to the ground.
However, with so many beasts, the effect seemed to be minimal.
Fortunately, those small holes did not take too much space, and as they moved forward more and more creatures fell, being turned in meat paste by their comrades.
At the same time, their charge slowed down a tiny bit.
Eventually, they reached the second row of traps. Beast after beast fell on the holes, being impaled by the sharp stakes at the bottom. And even when all spikes had been claimed, the holes still served to imprison a few creatures.
The third row of traps, the trenches, slowed down the charge. The demon and fierce beasts had to jump or slow down to pass through them, losing their momentum while doing so.
Those that dared to rush forward without stopping would end falling and crushed, having all their bones broken.
"Throw!" Suddenly, someone shouted in the middle of the crowd.
And, as if that single voice was leading them all, everyone took out a few items and threw them toward the approaching horde.
Green colored smoke, flashes of light, explosions, and burning fire… all sorts of flasks and strange items exploded and clashed, creating all sorts of effects.
Xiao Yao also did not stay idle. With a big and almost fiendish grin, he threw out ten flasks and ten green colored pellets!
Boom!
Bang!
When the flasks exploded, flames engulfed the area where they hit. Before the poison pellets could even explode and turn into toxic smoke, they became fuel to an enormous explosion - easily blasting beasts into ashes.
Like that, the number of beasts dwindled.
Unfortunately, every time one died another would squeeze its way through the horde and take its place.
There was no way to be sure of how many had died and how many were still alive; all the disciples could do, right now, was do their best and confront it, fighting against death!