Imp Eye Sub Division Down!

2nd month, 2nd week, and 5th day of the Wrath Nihility Academy and its enemy hidden forces war. Central City of the Imp Eye Sub Division.

Heian Ciemnosc was currently resting on a hill range of corpses, both ally and foe. His team members were lying on the ground facing the sky, tired and recuperating their breath and Power Energy. Just this day, the army had taken over the most powerful City in the Sub Division. However, there were still hidden enemies below the City's ground. Heian Ciemnosc knew where they were and their cultivation base. But they also had many powerful array formations activated of traps and killing types.

At this moment, a transporting ship coming from the opposite side where Cari’s operation came from and wreaked havoc on the enemy forces had already landed. As he thought about this, a dragging sound could be heard as Heian Ciemnosc slowly sat up and leaned his back on a bunch of piled-up corpses. His back was sweaty with blood from facing off so many enemy cultivators, especially at the peak of the Spirit Formation realm.

Heian Ciemnosc now understood his head had some price and status-bestowing reward. If it wasn’t for his team members, he would’ve had to rely on using that ‘black dome’ of his. He didn’t want to. It would leave him in a poor state, mentally, and that was enough to make a day, week, and month the worst times of his life. At this moment, he looked down and saw a tired Sakura dragging Esteban by the collar, who was in turn holding the other COs and so on.

Tap. Sakura placed her left cheek and ear on his right thigh as Heian Ciemnosc crossed his legs. She closed her eyes and pouted, her body insanely wasted but full of excitement from the near breakthrough, and so did the others. “Come one and hurry up. I think I’ll fall asleep if you don’t start…”

With her words, Heian Ciemnosc lightly smiled and lowered his right hand to rub the back of her head. As his pale skin ruffled her and comforted her, she fell asleep. After a little more, Heian Ciemnosc intertwined and half-intertwined his fingers, his hand placed together, and started the dual cultivation method.

Recently, he hadn’t found a way to multi-task cultivating together in masse. However, he had gathered enough research to discover a way to help everyone consolidate their cultivation realm in a small group. Sakura dragged the other mainly because of that. Violet was already dead asleep. She had tired herself the most in this battle, protecting everyone and not letting anyone from their team suffer a death. She had wounds on her back, sides, and front of her body. But to her, they were just light injuries.

She always did, not wanting to let any enemy get away with their attempt at reducing their numbers. It wasn’t numbers in her heart, or mind, but crucial elements that shouldn’t be lost. Aleksander and Gloria were, of course, still alive. But she could only focus on those enemy cultivators around, looting corpses whenever the battle was brought somewhere else and mustn’t be on the battlefield with them.

This was her test on Aleksander’s part. Aleksander also survived as a child like this during the 10 year war. There was nothing else he could do. And even then, he was caught, almost dying in the hands of unknown cultivators just because.

Heian Ciemnosc started helping everyone consolidate their cultivation. He could feel that everyone was close to a breakthrough. Even Aleksander was planning to continue advancing through the Spirit Formation realm stages. He looked to his left as he placed his left palm on Sakura’s right cheek, facing the sky, and his right hand covered her eyes.

“I will need new Mortal weapons. For free,” Lionel said after looking at Heian Ciemnosc’s face. He then departed without saying a word.

“...” In silence, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t respond, but he rolled his eyes after the commander had left. Looking back down, he couldn’t help but want to see if his COscould reach the Spirit Formation peak when he reached the Ashes Soul realm peak. Well, everyone except Aleksander. This fellow was a slut when it came to assassinating those 2 or 3 stages above his. Even in direct confrontations, he could fool and sneak attack the enemy. It was clearly some kind of addiction, a good one.

“Siiiigh…” Heian Ciemnosc looked up into the darkening sky and became thoughtful. Lately, Cari said he’d be discussing another promotion for Heian Ciemnosc. But with this fucker, Lionel’s, attitude, he was sure such a thing wouldn’t arrive until the end of this Sub Division’s conquest.

Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t hungry for power and status. He couldn’t care less. But wasn’t his Spirit Sense way too helpful to command only 4 teams? Tsk tsk, it seemed like Lionel was still determined to bring down the army with him just to stop any advances Heian Ciemnosc could make. Besides that, Heian Ciemnosc read many reports from Lionel’s work in the last operation. Where his subordinates retold how heroic and brave their commander was.

They were public and not the commander’s section, so anyone could read them, including the vassal cultivators who entered the Academy after the war with the objective of immediately aiding the Academy and winning back their territories. Quite a few examples happened during the situations that provoked this war. Some lost their homes, others ganged up on the stronger or weakest organizations, and others escaped a fate worse than death before it was fully unleashed.

The thing was, although the hidden forces were this brutal and uncaring towards those who did not surrender. Most organizations and rogue cultivators in the Blackotia Kingdom were pulled to their side. It didn’t matter what they did to them. Their public image wasn’t damaged or stained, and those who denied the hidden forces were ostracized and targeted instead. They made them feel all alone.

Naturally, the Academy was glad to rope those lonely people in. As of today, more than 10 million such cultivators coalesced in the Academy. It wasn’t much compared to the actual number of soldier units within the Academy, especially from those with low status. For example, Sub Students, Students, and Leading Students. Of course, all that mattered in the army was their emblem, nothing more.

The road was still long. For the victory, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t know. But for a small one such as reconquering an entire Division, it would take some time, indeed. It's been 2 months and a half, and they were still far from even capturing half the Imp Eye Sub Division. Since, for now, they only had the most fortified and influential Cities under their rule. But a 1* Region’s Sub Division had dozens of such Cities.

Unfortunately, around 60,000 students perished in this operation, with more than half the Sub Division in the enemy’s hands. Mostly from Lionel’s side, but that was still a lot, and Cari’s side had contributed a little over 10,000 to that amount. It was a lot, considering they were sending between 60,000 and 100,000 soldier units for each siege, at least on Cari’s side. While Lionel was seen as a mighty hero back at the Academy by the Spirit Gathering realm students or lower, which might vary for the discerning eyes of teachers or higher. But here, in this army, someone was about to get rebuked by their friend.

Heian Ciemnosc didn’t care. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Sakura slept on his thigh very cutely as her body accommodated itself. But she didn’t let go of her fellow COs. With her left hand below his thigh, treating it as a pillow, their next break with meditation and relaxation commenced.

. . .

After the 10th most fortified enemy City was captured by the Academy’s forces in the Imp Eye Sub Division, 20 days have passed.

All soldier units were given a whole day to rest without any duty. Their sub-commanders also granted them many theriac and cohesion pills. That day was very well welcomed. Not many student troops dared cultivate and simply reposed in the City. Others traveled back to the other Cities. Another transporting ship returned to the 3 Cities, forming a route outside the Imp Eye Sub Division to fetch the 50,000 left behind.

Stolen story; please report.

Their use of those Cities was as helpful as prevented. Many attacks were repelled by these 70,000 soldier units. Not a single improvised piece of artillery was damaged severely, and when they were slightly harmed, they were quickly repaired. Those 3 Cities also made many thousands of cannons more, and the transporting ship was flying over there to get all that juicy arsenal and ammunition that was most needed.

Bullets have also been shortened by a third, that is when, considering the previous storage of resources the Academy gave them.

Thus, 2 days later, everything was ready. A total 70,000 garrisoned units were left in the 13 Cities, with 440,000 on the field prepared to sweep through the land. This time, it was no longer 2 sides in one operation but several!

Even though the entire army had lost more than 100,000 manpower overall, they could only continue with their current numbers to sweep the enemy’s Sub Division… nobody, not even the enemy, thought the Acamdey’s forces could fail. Despite the ‘embarrassing’ first impression, this army gained over the enemy when they had first arrived at the Endless Desert Division. They were now the fear of every cultivator remaining outside the Cities from their City governors’ orders.

Many cultivators retreated to the nearest City. No matter how many things the City governors promised them, it was all for naught. That was when the enemy’s forces in the Division received a note saying the Academy’s army was now mobilized. But it wasn’t a simple mobilization of a transporting ship fleet or another divided attack. But an entire all-out mobilization with multiple-pronged attacks!!

That day… the enemy sweated and felt their skin numb… at the Academy’s prowess!!

The image of ten transporting ships moving slowly towards their target had already overwhelmed the enemy’s minds. When they all started simultaneously firing their machine guns and dropping their bombs for an entire day, the Imp Eye Sub Division finally knew ceaseless fear and destruction. Even if it was to a diminutive level and controlled, it chilled even the Second Step Fauna, enjoying the scenery.

From the sky, the lifeless, metallic behemoths in the sky slowly flew towards them. Nothing could strike them, and everyone could only fear them. From the sky, they flew down and closed in, coming closer enough to knock down their tallest building, fearlessly moving with terrifying gusts of wind assailing the City below. Bullets rained and danced in the air, with shells suddenly moving in the same direction they fell upon.

Even as the machine guns barraged in long lines and in a quick fashion as the transporting ships rotated like crazy and seemingly against the laws, the cannons’ shells landed exactly wherever a bullet fell, forming an even more impressive line of fire than the machine guns destroying structure and ground alike.

Large areas were filled with explosions one time, a second time, and a third one. The Academy’s army never took an ‘honorable’ way and fought the enemy face to face first. Instead, the enemy was struck down, flung about, and forced to face the reality of their incredible difference. When their walls were tumbled down. And when their numbers were already taken down by a third or more, the Academy would rush in and destroy everything in their path that was colored as enemy!!!

The image of the student troops in the cultivators’ eyes was that of giant humanoid figures, not needing any armor to appear impenetrable and not needing a facial expression to seem ferocious. Their simple walk, run, floating, or flying was enough to alert the enemy: their death was here!!

Wherever the Academy and the hidden enforces confronted each other, citizens and civilians would watch, their eyes shining, widening, and their pupils and irises shrinking as the former pushed down and struck the latter!

If there was one single justice in this war, on these Endless Desert Division battles… it was the one where all civilians could come out and walk through the same debris and streets they saw their heart’s heroes walk and punish the rebels to death!

It was a new Era. It was coming, and everyone could feel it.

After facing the most formidable Cities they ever had, no matter if it was the initial 200,000 student troopers or the newest 430,000. When they mobilized to siege the weaker, less fortified Cities in the rest of the Imp Eye Sub Division. It was like a light run in the park. It was like training for so long in seclusion, coming out and finding out you were the strongest in the world… They felt mighty, united… and unstoppable!

Even without their sub-commanders’ reminders and beratings, they kept their head cool, never letting the enemy think they were overconfident or complacent. Instead, their image grew in admiration and respect, even to these cultivators who had previously bore their hearts out and swore to annihilate the Academy. But as they couldn’t help but acknowledge these student troops, the enemy’s hearts never faltered, and their desire to stop the Academy… also grew.

Ferocious battles erupted everywhere, in each City and outside of them, on the part of rogue cultivators who couldn’t join either side and felt like becoming a bandit would be fun. In the end, war is always emotionless and cruel. Anything that stood in front and blocked or bothered the Academy’s army was erased from the world, leaving their enemy’s time but wasting theirs.

In those 20 days, the Imp Eye Sub Division fell, returning into the Academy’s hands…

… Now, with all the Cities in the Sub Division belonging to the Academy, there were only 200,000 soldier units and 200,000 garrisoned units. All 33 Cities in the Imp Eye Sub Division were under army rule, and the 20,000 in the 3 Cities outside forming the Academy’s route into the Endless Desert Division took away 200,000 soldier units.

However, the army moved to leave behind 20,000 garrisoned units in the 7 Cities closest to the Watery Land and placed 20,000 others in the 3 Cities outside. This way, the enemy couldn’t be capable of taking these Cities back.

As for their rear, in the last week before the Sub Division came under the army’s hands, Lionel informed everyone another army was being dispatched to the nearby Division to their west. This army had 800,000 soldier units already and was prepared to take the Division at a decent rate. Lionel also elaborated on the Academy’s praising of their world, telling them that it was precisely because of their results that the Academy could send this army. And that more were in their way as the upper echelons prepared and waited for enough time.

On the last day of the operation, the Endless Desert Division Academy’s army could see flashes go off in the distance. The Cities that could only be seen during the day and in the sky in the transporting ships were visible through the nighttime, with large metallic vessels overflying them and dominating the battle. Just like they learned how to do it. Furthermore, seeing their fellow Academy’s army fight in ways they shared in the medallion communications channel gave them some sort of inspiration and pride.

This was a pride similar to the younger generation learning and besting the older generations but with a much smaller effect. As a result, Lionel was having a headache with sub-commanders and troopers alike imploring him to send them to battle, that the war wasn’t over and they were being misused with so much stagnancy!

Thankfully, under Cari’s guidance, Lionel didn’t succumb to their pleas. The army was calmed down, not only with Cari’s intervention this time. He used Heian Ciemnosc’s name, reminding the soldier units how calm and collected he was despite having all these things happening. In the end, that resulted in enough motivation to appease the army. Back then, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t mind, but he was confounded. He also wanted the activity to continue. He was just a few stages away from the peak of the Ashes Soul realm!

… Finally, 2 more days later, the Academy’s resources finally arrived, bringing along many more resources than last time. They also brought with them 1,000,000 soldier units!!!

Totaling 1,500,000 soldier units now, Lionel found himself overwhelmed, but he was still calm. Even as he knew this surpassed his capabilities, he was similarly aware these student troops were like his. They weren’t bandits turned into civilized people or dumb idiots. He could count on them just as they count on him to lead them. Of course, Lionel immediately appointed new second-in-command students. It was absurd for Lionel to deal with everything himself this time, and he was already using Cari’s help before.

Directly, Lionel welcomed the new student troops as they descended into the Imp Eye Sub Division’s central City. This was the last time the Academy would send them reinforcements and general resources. It was both a gift and a slap on the wrists. The army lost another 30,000 in the last operation, which was much better considering the last operations. But such results were still too many students perishing.

Thus, Lionel was forced to let go of one of his cards, keeping Heian Ciemnosc away from grasping power. He had to appoint new second-in-command students! Consequently, 53 sub-commanders positions directly under the commander and the second-in-command were formed. And with the addition of 3 transporting ships, which were limitedly requested by Lionel, with Cari’s advice, another 11 second-in-commands were also appointed.

The army now owned 13 vessels, 12 second-in-commands, and a commander. Each transporting ship was to be shared by 4 sub-commanders for 120,000 soldier units to reside within them. Additionally, the army was no longer allowed to rest in the Cities but in the vessels to be stationed within each City. Thus, new landing zones needed to be made.

That was only for field soldier units. As for garrisoned units, they would reside within a City, near the walls, to ensure protection in case of an attack. Otherwise, no soldier unit is to remain within the Cities to rest, meditate, heal, or cultivate!

Thus, another slightly long wait would have to test the army’s patience to root the enemy out of the Academy’s territory. No enemy of the Academy can think of themselves as lucky or safe under the Blackotia Kingdom’s skies!

Also, Heian Ciemnosc was promoted. Besides leading 5 teams under his name, he can now advise other team leaders with other units under them. Only sub-commanders could command the teams under their name, while the rest below them could chat it out with each other.

…