CHAPTER 236 THE AMAZING ARRAY

Quickly, Rocky and Commander Cao of the Black Army, led their troops of nearly seven hundred

soldiers to a nearby open area.

Just when the Black Army's troops had retreated to a safe place, the latest battlefield report was also

sent to the grandstand.

"What? The White Army lost one more troop, and the Black Army has more army flags than the White

Army does?" Isis exclaimed. It was clear that she was confused about the news she had received.

However, all the people present were more startled than she was.

"I cannot believe this news. Even though the White Army lost one more troop, there are three left. The

Black Army has only two troops. How is it possible that the Black Army has more army flags?" an Elite

Commander asked because he had not seen nor heard of such a situation ever before.

"That is because, of the two Black Army's troops, one has six army flags," the spirit manipulator who

was responsible for delivering the battlefield report, replied.

His words astonished everyone in the crowd. After hearing the spirit manipulator's words, they became

curious. Also, they were eager to find out the name of the Commander, who had shown exceptional

courage, and obtained six army flags under an adverse situation.

"It must be Commander Cao. No one else is more experienced nor more competent than he is in the

Black Army," someone in the crowd, guessed.

Everyone present nodded their heads and concurred with his deduction.

"No, it's not Commander Cao. The troop's Commander is the representative of the northeast military

camp. He just came with the Deputy Commander in Chief," was the spirit manipulator's response,

which took everyone by surprise.

On hearing him, there was pin-drop silence. The crowd's ashen faces made them look like frozen

sculptures that were fixed to the ground on which they stood. They were in complete shock, and it

seemed that they had become immobile.

"You mean Rocky's troop now has six army flags?" Isis asked in disbelief. As there had been no special

communication about Rocky's troop in the previous battlefield reports, she could neither imagine nor

understand how he could get six army flags in an instant.

"Moreover, I was informed just now that the Black Army had taken two White Army Commanders,

captive," the spirit manipulator continued, as he nodded his head, without committing to anything.

"So, were the two White Army troops that went missing, defeated by the breeder?"

"How can that be? I do not think that the northeast military camp's breeder even understands military

strategy and tactics."

"Undeniably, Commander Marin is powerful and her subordinates are strong. Nevertheless, he is just

that - a breeder, even not a soldier." This material belongs to .

People who had gathered around the viewing platform became curious, and immediately there

transpired a scene of uproar and confusion.

"Now that I know, I am not surprised that Marin sent him here. He is definitely a master of complex

military strategy," Isis sighed, and suddenly realized that Rocky was not only powerful but also well

versed in the art of war strategies and tactics, much beyond what she could imagine. Had it been

otherwise, he would not have been able to eliminate two White Army troops, without leaving any traces

- that too under their noses! Now that Isis had a fair idea about who was responsible for the

extraordinary feat, she could not contain her desire to find out about Rocky, whose identity had, until

then been top secret.

"What information do you have about the two troops of the Black Army?" Isis asked, after she had

regained her composure.

"They are retreating now. However, the three troops of the White Army are about to catch up with

them," the spirit manipulator replied.

"Though the Black Army has more army flags now, yet they are in a weak position. Once the White

Army's three troops attack them with their concerted efforts, they will not be able to withstand their

attack, no matter what," a battle-hardened Elite Commander analyzed.

"How much time is left?" Isis asked the civil official who was keeping count of the time.

"Half an hour," was his response.

"It seems to me that it is the time of the final battle. The way I see it, is, that we can turn the tables, if

the Black Army can hold out against the White Army's invasion. However, to accomplish that in half an

hour is extremely difficult," Isis said. Besides, she felt that the Black Army would not be able to

withstand the White Army's attack.

Just then, someone saw a sizeable troop movement on the flatland, which was their training ground,

and shouted in consternation, "Look, the Black Army is over there."

Hearing the alarm, everyone, including Isis, turned to look in that direction. They beheld Rocky and

Commander Cao leading their troops on the expanse ahead, and were concerned.

"If they plan to resist the White Army's attack from there, they are courting death,"

one man said, and the others nodded their heads, agreeing with him. Even though the Black Army

knew that they were the weak side, yet they chose to begin their assault from a terrain that was easy to

attack but hard to defend. In doing so, they brought about their destruction. Even the man who was

ignorant of war statistics was aware of the consequences of their decision to strike an exposed area.

Isis also felt that their decision to charge where they would be exposed, was strange. But instead of

saying anything, she chose to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Rocky divided the soldiers of the Black Army into eight teams that were named after the

Eight Diagrams and distributed them in their shapes. Each team was further subdivided into an external

row, a middle row, and an internal row. Of these, the internal rows that comprised of seven teams were

in charge of guarding the army flags. Rocky led the only internal team that was without an army flag.

"Commander Cao, please arrange the attack and the defense within the array," Rocky instructed

Commander Cao.

"Can the array really resist the White Army's attacks?" he asked, as he was still not convinced.

"Let's wait and see," Rocky smiled calmly.

The three White Army's troops arrived soon after Rocky had finished arranging his troops in the forms

of the Eight Heaven Locks Array - and were only three-hundred meters from them.

Seeing the unusual line-up before them, the three Commanders of the White Army gazed at each other

in astonishment. However, it seemed that they did not care nor pay any attention to the array. That was

because they could not have, in their wildest dreams, imagined that the Black Army would choose to

fight against them from the flatland, as that was as good as them committing suicide.

After the three Commanders of the White Army had strategized and discussed the situation, they

assigned two hundred soldiers to spearhead a violent invasion against the Black Army, to explore what

the real situation there was.

"Come close!" Rocky shouted as the vanguard of the White Army approached where they were

camped.

Instantly, the eight teams in the shapes of the Eight Diagrams got close to each other to form an

impenetrable defense system.

When the White Army's vanguard came close, they saw they had nowhere to attack, so they scattered,

and started finding flaws.

"External rows, turn around!" Rocky ordered. The soldiers of each of the eight teams' external rows

turned around immediately, at the place where they were, and took turns to fight the soldiers of the

White Army's vanguard.

From the way the vanguard appeared, it looked that they had been indeed knocked senseless.

"The external rows come back and the north rows open..." Rocky shouted another order. Without any

delay, the north rows split from the center towards the right and the left.

Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of, without hesitating, several soldiers of the White Army's

vanguard rushed into the array.

"North rows come back. Middle rows, attack!" Rocky thundered another command. Since the enemy

had been trapped, he asked the north rows to go back to their position. Meanwhile, the soldiers in the

middle rows that Commander Cao was leading, quickly attacked the White Army's soldiers.

Seeing the Black Army's soldiers approach them from all directions, the White Army's vanguard

understood that they were trapped, and in no way could they save themselves. After the namesake

resistance that they put up, the Black Army's soldiers, crushed their spirits, defeated them and pushed

them out of the array.

Soon, that resulted in the White Army's vanguard losing more than half of its soldiers.