Chapter 66 Planning

The ancient tree area was quiet, and Shen Lian and his four companions took turns guarding and cultivating.

Shen Lian sat on the ancient tree, his gaze sweeping around. His [Combat Power Detection] was kept on, allowing him to see everything happening within a radius of thirty feet.

Shen Lian thought to himself, "There are still two days left until the end of the 'Rookie Showdown,' and the competition will only get fiercer from here on out."

According to information provided by Zhao Ming, Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen joined forces and announced that they would clear the area on the last day.

Their target is all the participants with the highest scores.

"Senior Brother Shen, it's time to change shifts." Chen Yun arrived under the ancient tree, looked up at Shen Lian who was sitting cross-legged on the trunk, and called out.

Shen Lian jumped down from the tree: "Is something wrong?"

Chen Yun shook her head and said, "Everything is normal at the moment. Senior Brother Lin is cultivating and seems to be about to break through. Chu Wen is also making considerable progress."

Shen Lian looked into the distance and saw Lin Feng cultivating. His blood and qi were surging. His "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" was not far from the Great Perfection stage, just one step away.

Chen Yun added some firewood and asked softly, "Senior Brother Shen, where do you think Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen are?"

Shen Lian pondered, "They should be near the 'Blackwater Pool' in the central area right now. It's a transportation hub that leads to various places, making it a good base to observe the movements of other contestants."

Chen Yun nodded slightly, her eyes becoming serious: "If they really occupy Blackwater Pool, then our situation will be dangerous. The ancient tree area is only thirty miles away from Blackwater Pool. Once they start clearing the area, they will search here very quickly."

Blackwater Pool is located in the central area of ​​Black Mist Forest and serves as a hub connecting various places. By occupying the position of Blackwater Pool, one can monitor most of the forest.

Shen Lian naturally understood this principle. Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen were both fifth-level experts, and they must have gathered a group of followers with considerable strength. Once they began their actions, the entire Black Mist Forest would be shaken.

"Therefore, we must be fully prepared before they make their move," Shen Lian said in a deep voice. "Tomorrow is the sixth day. They will begin probing attacks to eliminate some of the weaker participants. The real battle will take place on the last day."

Chen Yun gripped the knife hilt tightly: "Then we..."

"Wait," Shen Lian interrupted her, "Wait until Lin Feng and Chu Wen break through, and until everyone's injuries are fully recovered. Before that, we must not reveal our whereabouts."

The campfire flickered in the night, casting its light on the two men's faces.

The hooting of an owl could be heard in the distance, and it was particularly clear in the silent ancient tree area.

Chen Yun was silent for a moment, then asked, "Senior Brother Shen, do you think we can win?"

Shen Lian turned his head, looked at the worry in Chen Yun's eyes, and slowly said, "Nothing is absolutely certain; we can only do our best."

"Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen are indeed very strong, but we are not weak either. In the battle of Stone Forest, we defeated Zhou Yang and Chen Yuan. In the battle of Wind Wolf Valley, we killed the Wolf King at the peak of the third tier. In which of these battles were we absolutely certain of victory?"

Chen Yun paused for a moment, then smiled: "Senior Brother Shen is right."

Chen Yun replaced Shen Lian and began her shift, her gaze sweeping across the surrounding darkness.

Time passed second by second.

Suddenly, Shen Lian's eyes narrowed.

[Combat Strength Detection] Three targets have been detected and are rapidly approaching the ancient tree area.

[Combat Strength]: 32~40

[Combat Strength]: 28~36

[Combat Strength]: 30~38

The three fourth-level martial artists were moving extremely fast, clearly heading straight for them.

Shen Lian immediately shouted in a low voice, "Prepare for battle!"

The four people by the campfire immediately awoke, gripped their weapons tightly, and quickly entered combat mode. Lin Feng, Chu Wen, Chen Yun, and Zhao Ming each guarded one of the four directions.

Thirty breaths later, three figures rushed into the ancient tree area.

The young man at the head of the group, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wielded two knives and had a hideous scar on his face. Behind him followed a man and a woman; the man carried a gun, and the woman carried a whip.

The three of them were clearly taken aback when they saw Shen Lian and his group of five.

"Shen Lian?" The scarred youth frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Shen Lian examined the other party and found that all three of them were injured and their breathing was disordered, clearly indicating that they had been in battle.

"We'll rest here," Shen Lian said calmly. "Do the three of you need anything?"

The scarred youth hesitated for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "I am Zhang Meng from Beichuan County, and these two are my companions, Li He and Tang Xue. We were being chased by Chu Chunqiu's men and fled here in a panic. We had no intention of offending you."

Shen Lian's eyes flickered slightly: "A man from Chu Chunqiu? Tell me more."

Zhang Meng smiled bitterly, "We were hunting demonic beasts near Blackwater Pool when we were suddenly ambushed by Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen's men. There were eight of them in total, and the two leaders were both at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm. We fought our way out and escaped all the way here."

Li He added, "Those eight people are all local contestants from Qingzhou Prefecture. They are extremely strong, and they seem to be specifically hunting down those with higher scores."

Tang Xue said, her face pale, "Our points have all been stolen, but Chu Chunqiu's men still won't let us go and have been chasing us all the way here."

"You can rest here for a while," Shen Lian said after observing the three of them, "but you must leave before dawn."

Zhang Meng and his two companions felt as if they had been granted a pardon and thanked him repeatedly.

Chu Wen whispered in Shen Lian's ear, "Brother Shen, isn't it dangerous to leave them here? What if they are spies sent by Chu Chunqiu..."

Shen Lian shook his head slightly: "It shouldn't be. Their injuries are undeniable, but we still need to remain vigilant."

The five people made way for Zhang Meng and the other two to sit down and recuperate.

Zhang Meng took out healing pills and distributed them to his companions, taking one himself as well. After a short while, his breathing stabilized considerably.

After taking a breath, Zhang Meng looked at Shen Lian and said, "Brother Shen, there's something I must remind you: you've been targeted by Chu Chunqiu and his group."

Shen Lian wasn't surprised: "I know."

Zhang Meng lowered his voice: "But they not only want the points, they also want your lives."

The air around the campfire suddenly froze.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes: "What do you mean?"

Zhang Meng smiled bitterly and said, "The reason we are being hunted down is not only because of the points, but also because we overheard things we shouldn't have heard near Blackwater Pool."

"What did you say?" Shen Lian asked in a deep voice.

Zhang Meng looked around and lowered his voice even further: "Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen are plotting to eliminate all the geniuses who might threaten them on the last day of the trial. Not just to eliminate them, but... to silence them."

Zhao Ming gasped, "They dare to kill someone during the demon-hunting trial?"

"Why wouldn't we dare?" Li He sneered. "The Black Mist Forest is fraught with danger; it's perfectly normal for a few people to die. As long as we handle it cleanly, the Demon Suppression Division won't be able to find anything."

Tang Xue added, "Moreover, Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen have powerful backgrounds. The Chu family is the number one martial arts family in Qingzhou Prefecture, and the Xiao family is a noble family of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even if things are exposed, they have ways to smooth things over."

Shen Lian remained silent.

He had long anticipated that Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen would not let the matter rest, but he hadn't expected them to be so ruthless.

Although the demon-hunting trials are brutal, the Demon Suppression Division strictly forbids infighting. Anyone caught doing so will not only be disqualified but also severely punished.

But as Tang Xue said, Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen have powerful backgrounds and may not take the rules seriously.

"What specific plan did you hear about?" Shen Lian asked.

Zhang Meng recalled, "Their plan was to split into three groups on the morning of the last day to attack the Ancient Tree Area, the Broken Soul Cliff, and the Misty Swamp. These three places were the most likely hiding places for the top-scoring contestants."

"The team attacking the ancient tree area was personally led by Xiao Chen, consisting of twelve people, all of whom were at least at the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm," Li He added. "Among them, three had reached the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, making them extremely powerful."

Tang Xue bit her lip: "We were hunted down because we overheard this plan. If we hadn't been lucky enough to run into a group of second-tier demonic beasts blocking our way, we wouldn't have been able to escape at all."

Shen Lian looked at Chu Wen, and a hint of solemnity flashed in both of their eyes.

There are twelve people at or above the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, including three at the peak of the fourth level, plus Xiao Chen, who is at the fifth level.

Such a lineup is enough to sweep through the entire ancient tree area.

"Brother Shen, I know we have no right to ask for anything," Zhang Meng said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "But please allow us to stay and fight alongside you against Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen. After all, one more person means one more force."

Li He and Tang Xue also stood up, their eyes filled with determination.

Shen Lian sized up the three of them.

Zhang Meng's combat strength is 32-40. Although injured, he should still have 70% of his strength. Li He and Tang Xue's combat strength is slightly weaker, but they are still 28-38 and 30-38 respectively, both at the early stage of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm.

The three of them working together is indeed a significant asset.

But Shen Lian did not agree immediately.

"Why are you helping us?" Shen Lian asked. "Leaving the Black Mist Forest now is the safest option for you."

A glint of hatred flashed in Zhang Meng's eyes: "Chu Chunqiu's men killed my younger brother. If it weren't for saving us, my brother wouldn't have died."

Li He gripped his spear tightly: "We warriors of Beichuan County have never been cowards. We swear we will not rest until this grudge is avenged!"

Tang Xue didn't speak, but the resolute look in her eyes said it all.

Shen Lian remained silent for a moment, then looked at Chu Wen and the others.

Chu Wen nodded slightly, Lin Feng remained expressionless, and Chen Yun and Zhao Ming did not object.

"Alright," Shen Lian finally said, "You can stay. But from now on, you must obey my commands."

Zhang Meng and his two companions were overjoyed: "Thank you, Brother Shen!"

"Heal your wounds first." Shen Lian took out two bottles of healing pills from his pocket and tossed them to Zhang Meng. "Recover your fighting strength as soon as possible; there may be a fierce battle tomorrow."

Zhang Meng accepted the pills, gave Shen Lian a grateful look, and the three of them returned to the campfire to continue their meditation.

Shen Lian then climbed back up the ancient tree and continued his guard duty.

As night deepened, the ancient tree area returned to silence.

But Shen Lian knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Shen Lian jumped down from the tree and found that Lin Feng and Chu Wen had finished their cultivation. Their eyes were gleaming, and their auras were much stronger than yesterday.

"You've broken through?" Shen Lian asked.

Lin Feng nodded: "Having mastered the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique,' my combat strength has increased considerably."

Chu Wen laughed and said, "My 'Chasing Wind Sword Technique' has also broken through, and now I should be able to fight against someone in the mid-stage of the Fourth Heaven."

After treatment and rest, Zhang Meng and the other two had mostly recovered.

"Very good." Shen Lian said with satisfaction, "Now we have eight fourth-level experts on our side. Although we are still outnumbered, we still have the strength to fight."

Chu Wen spread out the map: "Brother Shen, what's our next step?"

Shen Lian pointed to several marked points on the map: "Zhang Meng said that Xiao Chen will attack the Ancient Tree District on the morning of the last day, so we can't just sit and wait to die. We have three things to do all day today."

The crowd gathered around.

"First, we must thoroughly understand the terrain of the ancient tree area," Shen Lian said. "We must know exactly where to set up an ambush, where to retreat, and where to hide."

Chu Wen nodded: "Leave this to me. I'm good at surveying terrain."

"Second, set traps," Shen Lian continued. "We need to turn the ancient tree area into our home ground. Chu Wen, you, Zhang Meng, and Li He are in charge of this. Use every means possible to make the enemy pay the price for every step they take."

Chu Wen's eyes lit up: "Don't worry, I'll show them what it means to be lurked at every turn."

"Third, hunt demonic beasts to replenish supplies." Shen Lian looked at Lin Feng and Chen Yun. "Our dry rations are finished, and we must replenish our food as soon as possible. In addition, we are running low on healing pills and miasma-repelling talismans."

Lin Feng said, "I'll go with Chen Yun."

Shen Lian shook his head: "No, Chen Yun and I will go. Lin Feng, you, Zhao Ming, and Tang Xue will stay at the camp to guard the area and focus on your cultivation. Your 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' has just broken through and needs time to stabilize."

Lin Feng frowned: "But..."

"No buts," Shen Lian said firmly. "What we lack most right now is time. You must stabilize your cultivation level and improve your combat strength as soon as possible. You will be a key player in tomorrow's battle."

Lin Feng remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Understood."

Shen Lian looked at everyone: "Any other questions?"

Zhang Meng hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Brother Shen, why don't we take the initiative and strike first before Xiao Chen and his men complete their encirclement?"

Shen Lian shook his head: "Taking the initiative could certainly disrupt their plans, but the risks are too great. We don't know exactly how many of them there are, or where they are located. If we launch a rash attack, we could very well get surrounded."

He paused, then continued, "And what we want is not just to repel them, but to annihilate them completely. Only in the Ancient Tree District, our familiar home ground, is there a chance to do this."

Everyone suddenly realized.

Indeed, repelling and annihilating are two different things. With their current strength, they might be able to repel Xiao Chen's team, but annihilating them completely is almost impossible.

Only by setting up an inescapable net in the ancient tree area can we possibly wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.

"Let's get going," Shen Lian said finally. "Remember, you must be back before dark. No matter what the outcome, safety comes first."

The group split up and took action separately.

Chu Wen, along with Zhang Meng and Li He, began to survey the terrain and set up traps.

Lin Feng, Zhao Ming, and Tang Xue stayed behind at the camp, maintaining vigilance while cultivating.

Shen Lian and Chen Yun left the ancient tree area and headed deeper into the forest.

The morning mist was thick, reducing visibility to less than thirty feet.

Shen Lian walked ahead, his [Combat Power Detection] fully activated, taking in all the movements within a fifty-foot radius.

Chen Yun followed behind, gripping her long sword tightly, cautiously observing her surroundings.

An hour later, Shen Lian and Chen Yun hunted down a porcupine, which was quite large and just enough to replenish their needs. Afterward, the two returned to the ancient tree area.

Chu Wen and the others have returned and are busy around the campfire.

"Brother Shen, you're back!" Chu Wen greeted them, his eyes lighting up when he saw the porcupine Shen Lian was carrying. "Great! Now the food problem is solved!"

Shen Lian handed the porcupine to Chu Wen to handle and asked, "How's the terrain reconnaissance going?"

Chu Wen excitedly unfolded a sketch: "I have completely figured out the terrain of the ancient tree area. Here, here, and here, these are all excellent ambush points. I have set up a lot of traps. Once triggered, they can trap a fourth-level martial artist for a period of time, giving us a chance to make a move."

Li He pointed to several marks on the sketch: "I've set some traps in these places to confuse the enemy for a while."

Shen Lian carefully examined the sketch and nodded in satisfaction: "Very well done."

Tang Xue walked over from the side, holding several porcelain bottles in her hand: "Brother Shen, I have used the herbs I collected to make some healing medicine. Although the effect is not as good as regular pills, it can still stop bleeding and heal wounds."

Shen Lian took the porcelain bottle, smelled it, and said, "The medicine is mild and suitable for external use. Thank you for your hard work."

Eight people sat around the campfire.

Chen Yun spread honey on the roasted meat, and the golden fat dripped into the fire, filling the air with a wonderful aroma.

The group shared the roasted meat, and their strength quickly returned.

Shen Lian ate while making plans for tomorrow.

Shen Lian drew a diagram on the ground with a twig, "Xiao Chen and his group will most likely attack from three directions simultaneously, forming an encirclement."

Chu Wen frowned: "Then how do we deal with this?"

A glint of wisdom flashed in Shen Lian's eyes: "Let's turn the tables on them."

Everyone was taken aback.

"They want to encircle us, so we'll let them," Shen Lian continued. "But the center of the encirclement won't be our camp, but this place..."

He pointed to a spot on the sketch.

It was a relatively open clearing in the woods, surrounded by towering ancient trees.

"This is the center of the ancient tree area, and also the area with the most traps," Chu Wen said, puzzled. "But there are no natural defenses here. Once we are surrounded, it will be very difficult for us to break out."

"Who said we have to defend?" Shen Lian retorted.

Everyone was even more puzzled.

Shen Lian explained, "Tomorrow's battle will not be a positional war, but a mobile war. We will use the complex terrain of the ancient tree area to maneuver around the enemy. We will attack here and there, constantly depleting their manpower."

Lin Feng's eyes lit up: "Guerrilla warfare?"

"That's right." Shen Lian nodded. "We're outnumbered, so we can't fight head-on. But we're familiar with the terrain, we have traps to help us, and we have honey to replenish our strength. That's our advantage."

He looked at everyone and said, "Tomorrow's tactics can be summed up in eight words: when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy retreats, we pursue. We will utilize every available opportunity to wear down the enemy's strength and patience. When they are exhausted and reveal a weakness, we will concentrate our forces and strike a fatal blow."

Chu Wen clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brilliant! This way we can achieve the greatest results with the least cost!"

Zhang Meng and the other two also showed expressions of admiration.

Shen Lian's tactic is indeed the most suitable for their current situation.