In the war zone, Liu Tianning couldn't take action directly, but teaching Zhao Xing techniques didn't violate any rules.
"You need to gather Wuhun Wood, Hidden Sand, Dark Spirit Obsidian, Red Flame Fire Pearl, Golden Gang, Earth Spirit Sand…" Liu Tianning listed a series of materials.
"According to my requirements, hand these materials to the formation master and have them forge the formation base."
After a pause, he continued, "Once the formation base is ready, summon thirty-two eighth-rank priests to the training field to receive orders."
Zhao Xing hesitated for a moment, starting to understand.
Was Old Liu planning to create an Illusionary Spirit Array on the spot for him?
"Yes," Zhao Xing replied, immediately retreating.
He found Wang Ji, who at that time was chatting with Han Bing and Che Shi Hai.
"Back in the Myriad Techniques Palace, I made it to the final stage and earned 8,000 points!" Che Shi Hai boasted.
"But compared to the boss, the treatment is worlds apart." Che Shi Hai sighed.
"The inheritance of the Straw Puppet techniques doesn't follow the usual volume approach," Han Bing shook his head, "In Liu Tianning's eyes, besides Zhao Xing, none of us are worthy of his attention."
It was really demoralizing!
At the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, all the other instructors were approachable, even Cheng Qingming and Ge Jinsong didn't treat them like this.
But Liu Tianning? He completely ignored them outside of the cave, as if they were strangers.
As they were speaking, Zhao Xing arrived.
"Wang Ji, there's work to do," Zhao Xing walked in hurriedly with a list in hand. "Quick, find people and gather the materials listed here for me."
"Got it, I'll handle it right away." Wang Ji took the list and immediately got up to leave.
"Boss, what's Lord Liu doing here?" Che Shi Hai asked before Zhao Xing could leave.
"He's here to teach me," Zhao Xing sighed.
"You're sighing?!" Han Bing almost crushed the cup in his hand. This was Liu Tianning! The one hailed as the number one in Straw Puppet techniques! What was there to sigh about?
"You wouldn't understand," Zhao Xing said without elaborating.
"Make sure the Transport Officers delivering supplies are cautious these days. Anping Road and Nanxiang Road are no longer safe, we need to use different routes."
When it came to serious matters, Han Bing and Che Shi Hai immediately sobered up.
"If we don't use Anping Road and Nanxiang Road, we'll have to go through enemy-occupied territory," Han Bing said. "It's highly risky, and the enemy could easily intercept us. Should we consider pulling the army back to Tonghuo City?"
"I agree with Han Bing," Che Shi Hai added. "Look at Min Zhiheng from the Lieyang Army, who made a mistake just yesterday."
The mention of Min Zhiheng made Zhao Xing's expression heavy.
Min Zhiheng led a division of the Lieyang Army in the northern front. He was a sixth-rank Captain, ranked 136th in the Sixth-Rank Merit Rankings.
Yesterday, a report in the Earth Mirror announced that Min Zhiheng, leading 87,000 men to attack the sixteen cities of the West Jiang Territory, had been defeated by the prince of the Golden Feather Court, Jinyan. More than 30,000 men were killed or injured in the devastating loss.
That division of the Lieyang Army had been utterly crushed.
Min Zhiheng, who originally had over three million merit points, was reduced to zero in a single battle. His official position was also demoted by five ranks, from upper sixth to lower seventh.
Because Min Zhiheng was well-known in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, his defeat served as a wake-up call to all the armies in the Fire Demon Tribe's war zone.
Everyone realized that there were no more easy victories ahead. The Golden Feather Court was determined to protect the Fire Demon Tribe's territory, and attacking them might undo decades of hard work.
Accruing battle merits and official ranks was no easy feat, requiring many victories to build up.
But losing them? A single disastrous defeat could erase it all.
"I understand." Zhao Xing nodded, "I've already informed the frontlines to send a ten-thousand-man team to guard the supply line."
"That'll slow down our efficiency," Che Shi Hai pointed out. "Normal combat units won't be much help."
"Let's proceed with this plan for now," Zhao Xing decided.
With the appearance of the Illusionary Spirit Array on the supply route, they had no choice but to reroute through enemy-occupied territory. The size of the supply convoys couldn't be too large, or they'd risk being intercepted and killed.
Though rerouting was only a temporary solution, the real problem had to be resolved.
However, whether to retreat or not would ultimately depend on the decisions of the frontline commanders. As the logistics overseer, Zhao Xing could only handle his part of the job.
After issuing instructions to Wang Ji and Han Bing, Zhao Xing was about to return to Liu Tianning when his Earth Mirror vibrated.
When he checked, he saw it was a task from the Military Realm.
[Military Realm Task: 'Stabilize the Supply Line to Jishun Pass']
[Military Realm Intelligence: A large-scale high-level Illusionary Spirit Array has appeared on the Anping Road and Nanxiang Road between Tonghuo City and Jishun Pass. This deployment poses a severe threat to the supply line and could lead to military defeat.]
[Task Requirement: Ensure the supply needs of the Shenwei Army, Zhenhai Army, Xuanjia Army, Huanyou Army, Yuanhua Army, and Zhaoyuan Army until the war ends.]
[Task Reward: Depending on task completion, different levels of merit points will be awarded, with a maximum of 400,000!]
[Note 1: You may review the formation's information in the Earth Mirror. If the supply line fails, resulting in defeat on the frontlines, a large number of merit points will be deducted. Take swift action to address the situation!]
[Note 2: If the army retreats to Tonghuo City, this task will disappear.]
"The Military Realm has issued a task." Zhao Xing put away the Earth Mirror.
The high-level Illusionary Spirit Array had appeared two days ago, and after collecting enough intelligence, the Military Realm had conducted its analysis.
Zhao Xing figured he wasn't the only one receiving the task—frontline commanders must have been notified as well.
The content was predictable: the supply line was at risk, making battles more difficult. Under such circumstances, each kill would count for double the merit.
However, the corresponding risk was that casualties would also increase.
If they continued fighting, the merit rewards would rise, but if they lost, the merit points would be deducted heavily, erasing previous efforts. Just like Min Zhiheng.
"This is the last major merit task of this phase. I can't afford to miss it," Zhao Xing thought. "The longer this war goes on, the harder it will be to earn merit, especially after next year when Emperor Jing grows more impatient and the Southern Barbarians regain their footing, becoming more resilient."
"My current merits might only get me to lower sixth rank. Previously, I exchanged a million merit points for the Yin Spirit quota, so I didn't gain any titles or honorary positions."
Titles weren't something Zhao Xing cared much about, but once he transitioned to a civilian Shennong, having a title would be beneficial, especially in the civilian bureaucracy where such things were important.
Honorary positions also mattered, as they determined additional annual bonuses, which were significant during wartime, especially for siege merits, which added substantial bonuses.
While Zhao Xing wasn't short of money at the moment, once he reached the sixth rank, funds would become scarce. High-level seeds and treasures were becoming increasingly rare.
And to reach the fifth rank during Emperor Jing's reign, and to expand the Houtu Gravel, Zhao Xing would need vast resources.
If he didn't plan to embezzle, relying solely on his official salary would be impossible for cultivation.
If he didn't rely on his own cultivation, he'd be tied to the imperial court.
But this would hinder Zhao Xing's plans for longevity, as his cultivation would be tied to Great Zhou's fate.
He didn't intend to depend on the imperial court for cultivation or technique advancement; he only wanted its support for luck and longevity.
"It's already November 7th in the 17th year of the Jingxin Era." Zhao Xing thought. "Merit! I must earn more merit!"
By the hour of the dragon, Liu Tianning arrived, instructing Zhao Xing to prepare the materials.
By noon, the materials were ready.
In the meantime, Zhao Xing received news from the frontlines.
First, Liao Rulong contacted Zhao Xing via the Earth Mirror, asking about the supply line issues.
Since Zhao Xing had received the task, so had they.
"Can the supply be guaranteed?" Liao Rulong asked. "If not, we can withdraw to the vicinity of Tonghuo City and reassess."
"It can be," Zhao Xing replied.
Liao Rulong was with Xia Jing, but Xia Jing didn't inquire because he trusted Zhao Xing to handle it.
The Zhenhai Army's Jiang Ming and Li Que didn't ask either, as they hadn't received the task. As vice-commanders in the allied forces, they had no decision-making power.
If the main forces retreated, they would follow.
Since a portion of the Zhenhai Army warships was also handling logistics and supply transport, they had to listen to Zhao Xing for logistical matters.
There was no need to worry.
But on the other two routes, Yuan Yang, Wen Shaoyang, Yi Zhijie, and Qiu Mingyi all sent messages inquiring about the situation.
Among them, Yuan Yang and Wen Shaoyang were relatively polite.
After all, for the past half-month, Zhao Xing had never missed a single delivery. Every shipment was on time and in full.
But Yi Zhijie was more direct.
"Zhao Xing, can you stabilize this supply line?"
"If you can't, I'll deploy personnel from the Yuanhua Army to handle it!"
Yi Zhijie's agitation was understandable.
A few days ago, Zhao Xing's convoy was delayed by the Illusionary Spirit Array on Anping Road.
The supplies for Yi Zhijie's Yuanhua Army were delayed by nearly two days.
Yi Zhijie, ranked third in the Seventh-Rank Merit Rankings, was known for his fiery temper. Even when speaking with people like Yuan Yang and Wen Shaoyang, he would pound the table.
His point was clear: if Zhao Xing couldn't handle it, the Yuanhua Army had plenty of logistics personnel who could.
"General Yi, please rest assured, such delays will not happen again," Zhao Xing said.
"And if it happens again?" Yi Zhijie pressed.
"Then I'll step down and let General Yi's people take my place."
"Good, it's a deal!"
With that, Yi Zhijie hung up.
"Yi Zhijie is quite capable, but he sure has a temper," Che Shi Hai remarked. "Daring to speak to the boss like that."
"It's not without reason. After all, it's the lives of thousands of his men at stake," Zhao Xing replied. "If it were me, I'd be just as angry."
In situations like this, there was no room for pride—only the task at hand mattered.
Zhao Xing didn't take Yi Zhijie's attitude personally. The two-day delay was a serious matter.
"I need to resolve this quickly... Wang Ji, are the materials ready?" Zhao Xing asked.
"They're ready, already moved to the southern training grounds," Wang Ji reported.
"Han Bing, go notify Priest Zhang Yi and have him bring his men over," Zhao Xing instructed.
"Yes, sir."
With everything prepared, Liu Tianning set up a small Illusionary Spirit Array at the southern training grounds.
Though small, the array covered nearly ten thousand acres.
And it reached the level of a high-grade formation.
"A high-level Illusionary Spirit Array involves the Dao of Yin and Yang," Liu Tianning explained as he stood with Zhao Xing before the formation. "This one I've set up is a simplified version. It uses more materials, and it's manned by guards. It barely qualifies as high-grade."
"But the one you encountered is unmanned, based on the five elements of heaven and earth, and powered by Yin Spirits."
"However, the principles remain the same," Liu Tianning continued. "If you can pass through this formation, you'll be able to get through the ones on Anping Road and Nanxiang Road as well."
"I can only pass through but not break it?" Zhao Xing asked.
"It can't be destroyed," Liu Tianning replied. "Breaking large formations like this is extremely difficult."
Zhao Xing pondered, understanding the logic.
The Barrier Formation at Fire Dragon Pass stretched for hundreds of miles. Back then, the Shenwei Army and Xuanjia Army had deployed 18,000 men to scale Fire Mountain and destroy it from within.
They blew up dozens of cities, only temporarily disabling the barrier formation.
They had to combine this with the naval bombardment from the Zhenhai Army to finally break it.
The Illusionary Spirit Array now wasn't as vast as the Fire Dragon Pass's barrier, but it was still a large-scale high-level formation.
It was also much harder to destroy from within because once inside, you'd be trapped in a ghostly maze, unable to find the way.
"You only need to pass through," Liu Tianning said. "The Illusionary Spirit Array isn't designed to kill, it's meant to block and confuse."
"If you can understand how to navigate it and learn the Self Straw Puppet technique, you can lead the supply convoys through it personally and solve this problem."
"I understand," Zhao Xing nodded.
From November 7th onward, Zhao Xing entrusted all military affairs to Han Bing and Wang Ji. He had no choice but to trust them to handle the rerouted supply deliveries.
Meanwhile, he focused entirely on learning from Liu Tianning.
What did he learn?
First, he learned how to pass through high-level Illusionary Spirit Arrays.
With Liu Tianning's guidance, Zhao Xing quickly grasped the techniques for navigating the formation.
Second, he trained in the Self Straw Puppet technique.
The lowest requirement for the Self Straw Puppet was the Five Arts being fully integrated.
Even the lowest level of Self Straw Puppet was a high-grade technique. At its highest level, it had no upper limit and could be considered the ultimate form of straw puppet techniques.
Previously, Zhao Xing had mastered the integration of three arts: Flying, Divine Strength, and Explosive Detonation.
But integrating four arts only reached the level of mid-grade seven-turn.
Achieving the full integration of five arts in a short time was extremely difficult.
Had it not been for the Life Soul Pill Zhao Xing consumed earlier, even with Liu Tianning's personal instruction, he wouldn't have expected to achieve it anytime soon.
But with the effects of the Life Soul Pill and Liu Tianning personally demonstrating the Self Straw Puppet technique, there was now a glimmer of hope.
In the Military Realm, at the Hundred Weapon Tower, Lord Luohou, Lord Lingde, and Lord Tianyan gathered.
"Lord Tianyan, Lord Luohou, your gamble just took a turn," Lord Lingde remarked. "Zhao Xing hasn't given up on the task assigned by the Military Realm, and the frontline commanders have not yet retreated."
"This kid is taking another risk," Lord Tianyan couldn't help but frown. "He did the same at Fire Dragon Pass, taking a gamble. Now, even knowing how tough this task is, he still refuses to back down."
"Yuan Yang, Wen Shaoyang, Yi Zhijie, Xia Jing, Liao Rulong... all geniuses known for their risky strategies. Only Wen Shaoyang is more cautious. When these people come together, they're a perfect match." Lord Tianyan shook his head.
Had the main commanders disagreed, Zhao Xing couldn't have taken on the task. If Zhao Xing had decided it was unfeasible, the armies on the three main routes would have retreated to Tonghuo City, and the task would disappear.
But instead, Zhao Xing had consulted the Turtle Coin Divination, which advised him to stop while ahead and preserve their gains.
Lord Tianyan believed that they should pause, but these commanders refused to stop.
"It's not necessarily reckless," Lord Luohou said, reading through the reports. "The army at Jishun Pass is clearly afraid. They can't win head-on, so they're trying to cut off the supply lines, hoping to force a retreat and buy themselves some breathing room."
"If the supply line holds, the pass will fall in two months."
Lord Lingde added, "The Fortune Disk's analysis suggests that the eastern army is in danger, Lord Luohou. The key is whether they can hold out."
"The Fortune Disk isn't always 100% accurate. It only provides possibilities," Lord Luohou countered. "Lord Lingde, care to place a bet?"
Lord Lingde hesitated for a moment before smiling. "Of course. How would you like to wager?"
"I bet that Zhao Xing's supply line won't fail, and within two months, Jishun Pass will fall," Lord Luohou declared. "Let's wager two seventh-rank divine weapons."
"Hahaha." Lord Tianyan laughed, "Luohou, don't dig yourself too deep. You've already bet one divine weapon with me, and now you're betting two with Lingde?"
Lord Lingde, still smiling, responded, "Jishun Pass in two months? That means Zhao Xing has to solve the Illusionary Spirit Array soon. Fine, I'll take the bet!"
Lord Luohou then raised the stakes: "Forty days! I bet Jishun Pass will fall within forty days!"
Lingde was stunned but intrigued. After a brief pause, he couldn't resist. "Alright, I'm in! Let's see whether the Fortune Disk or your intuition is more accurate."
"Maybe Luohou is just trying to recover his losses from you," Lord Tianyan joked.
"Lingde, you've already lost," Luohou said with a faint smile. "Haven't I told you? Those who create opportunities even when there are none are the true geniuses, and they often create miracles."
"And now, the eastern front has more than one of such people."
Lingde was taken aback. He immediately pulled out his Earth Mirror to investigate. "Damn it, Luohou, you tricked me!"
"Liu Tianning has gone to the war zone! Does that even count? That's against the rules!" Lingde protested.
"Why wouldn't it count?" Lord Luohou grinned. "He only sent a six-rank avatar to teach, and he won't be directly participating in battles. The challenge of passing through a high-level Illusionary Spirit Array remains unchanged."
"You..." Lingde was at a loss for words. If it were only Zhao Xing, he might still be confident, but with Liu Tianning involved, he was genuinely nervous. The Military Realm Inspectorate held Liu Tianning in high regard! With Liu Tianning teaching Zhao Xing, they might indeed pull off a miracle.
On November 9th, Zhao Xing had already mastered traversing the Illusionary Spirit Array at the southern training grounds.
By November 10th, Zhao Xing began practicing the integration of four arts: Flying, Divine Strength, Explosive Detonation, and Invisible Straw Puppet.
By November 13th, he had successfully mastered the four-art integration.
However, the supply convoys from Tonghuo City to the frontline were frequently attacked and suffered significant losses.
Nevertheless, the output from Tonghuo City was sufficient, and Zhao Xing managed to sustain the supply lines through a strategy of saturation transport.
In other words, each delivery carried three to five times the usual amount. Since the route had to be altered, he deployed multiple teams and scattered them into smaller groups, playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the enemy forces along the supply lines.
Though losses occurred, they were spread across multiple teams, allowing Zhao Xing to barely maintain supply to the frontlines.
Under this pressure, the days passed, and it was now early December.
By then, the Shenwei Army, Zhenhai Army, Xuanjia Army, Zhaoyuan Army, Huanyou Army, and Yuanhua Army had all intensified their assaults, while the defenses at Jishun Pass became more desperate.
Great Zhou wanted to capture Jishun Pass quickly, knowing that the supply lines were always at risk. Though Zhao Xing had managed to keep the supply lines intact so far, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be compromised if the battle dragged on.
The six generals felt immense pressure.
The commanders of Jishun Pass were equally strained, facing the might of the six-army alliance.
Yuan Yang, Yi Zhijie, Qiu Mingyi were all top-five-ranked seventh-rank merit geniuses.
The Zhaoyuan Army, Yuanhua Army, and Huanyou Army were among the top-tier forces of the Five Great Cave-Heavens.
Especially the Huanyou Army, which held a decisive advantage against Soul Masters and ghostly enemies.
At first, the defenders of Jishun Pass dared to engage, but they soon found themselves on the defensive, no longer able to deploy their ghostly armies.
Instead, they resorted to harassing the supply lines, hoping to relieve some of the pressure on the pass.
If they could break through the supply lines, victory over the six-army alliance would be assured.
On December 5th, Zhao Xing began practicing the integration of five arts.
Using Flying, Divine Strength, Explosive Detonation, Invisible, and Soul Binding straw puppet techniques, he attempted to fully integrate all five.
"Boom!"
A straw puppet exploded before his eyes.
"This is the 19,873rd failure," Zhao Xing said, his face pale.
The pressure was immense. The bad news kept piling up, and the saturation transport method wasn't sustainable. Enemy forces were frequently attacking Tonghuo City and the supply depots along the route.
"I haven't earned any merit this month—in fact, I've lost over 50,000 points," Zhao Xing thought. Normally, supplying and delivering goods would earn him merit each month, but this month, due to the heavy losses, not only was his monthly merit reward forfeited, but he was fined over 50,000 points.
His subordinates were also beginning to accumulate "debt."
The decisions of those at the top affect everyone below. Zhao Xing's choice to hold the line and not withdraw the army meant he had to bear this risk.
"It's in adversity that one sees the true path," Liu Tianning appeared before Zhao Xing. "But the pressure on you is still not enough. Let me help."
"What?" Zhao Xing was stunned.
"I will now demonstrate this for you one last time," Liu Tianning said calmly. "After that, my straw puppet avatar will collapse completely, and I won't send another. This is your final chance."
"If you fail to learn, this task will undoubtedly end in failure."