The Hidden Group's main camp.
A small clearing within the camp was cordoned off by a bonfire, upon which a whole lamb was roasting, its aroma wafting through the air.
However, no one's gaze was fixed on the roasted lamb; instead, all eyes were on Yang Chen.
At this moment, Yang Chen, with a smug expression, was recounting his heroic deeds of the day. After all, in today's battle, he alone had taken down nine Red Cardinals, an achievement truly worthy of pride. Of course, he only dared to boast about it in small circles and not in front of Ye Cangtian, lest Ye Cangtian call him out for being conceited.
Meanwhile, inside the command tent, Ye Cangtian, Yin Tao, along with Jian Wusheng and Bai Zhenshan, were engaged in a discussion.
"Kid, the Bright Hall squad has suffered heavy casualties. I believe this is the opportune moment to press our advantage."
"The three of us have discussed this and plan to annihilate the Bright Hall squad tonight. What are your thoughts?"
Yin Tao glanced at Ye Cangtian and inquired. Yin Tao and the other two were aware of the information from Ye Cangtian's side. They all felt that since they had the capability to destroy the enemy, they should strike first to avoid unforeseen complications.
"Annihilating the Bright Hall squad, I have no objections."
"However, I have a suggestion. Although the Bright Hall squad has suffered heavy losses, they still possess a relatively intact vigilance system, making large-scale operations inadvisable."
"It would be best to dispatch a few strong individuals. This would not only help them bypass the enemy's detection system but also minimize casualties."
Ye Cangtian remained silent for a moment before stating his suggestion. Upon hearing this, Yin Tao pondered for a moment and finally nodded. The vigilance system was indeed a problem. After all, the dense forest made it difficult for large-scale movements to eliminate all sentries silently. If they were discovered in advance, the enemy might very well escape. Thus, this point was quite necessary.
With that in mind, he looked at Ye Cangtian and continued, "Do you have any other suggestions?"
"There is also the matter of timing."
Ye Cangtian glanced at the other party, cutting straight to the chase. He felt that operating at night was not ideal and that they should wait until morning and act in the daytime.
"Wait until morning? Why?"
Yin Tao looked at Ye Cangtian in confusion, asking why. It was generally believed that night was best for ambushes; who would ambush during the day!
Uh…
Hearing Yin Tao's question, Ye Cangtian was momentarily stunned. He couldn't tell them that his spiritual power had been heavily depleted during the daytime operations! Although this didn't hinder his combat ability, his spiritual power was one of his significant trump cards. Furthermore, he had promised Marun to hand over Tuers to Marun for persuasion. If Tuers truly surrendered, he would have to implant a soul mark. However, his remaining spiritual power was insufficient to complete the soul mark. But he couldn't reveal these truths, lest everyone worry.
Helplessly, Ye Cangtian said, "Since we have absolute confidence, why the need for a night raid? We should descend with the majesty of kings."
Uh…
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Yin Tao and the others' mouths twitched. They found this reason difficult to accept. However, given Ye Cangtian's status and capabilities within the Hidden Group, if Ye Cangtian suggested it, it was fine to delay the operation until daytime; the enemy wouldn't escape anyway.
Seeing the three reluctantly nod, Ye Cangtian felt extremely awkward and muttered to himself. His current spiritual power was still too weak! He had already consumed so much facing such a small number of people; it seemed he needed to strengthen his spiritual power cultivation in the future.
With these thoughts, Ye Cangtian spoke, "Let's first decide on the operational personnel. Yin Tao can remain at the Hidden Group's main camp. Elder Jian Wusheng, Elder Bai Zhenshan, along with Yang Chen and myself, the four of us will be sufficient for the operation."
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Jian Wusheng and Bai Zhenshan naturally had no objections. However, Yin Tao's expression turned grim. He glared at Ye Cangtian and said, "The opponent has a quasi-Heavenly realm expert and ten Red Cardinals. It's too dangerous for just the four of you. I believe I should accompany you..."
In Yin Tao's view, the strength of Ye Cangtian, Jian Wusheng, Bai Zhenshan, and Yang Chen was undeniable. The problem was precisely that these few individuals were the absolute power here. If anything were to happen to them, the Huaxia forces would also suffer a heavy blow. It was impossible for him not to worry. It was for this reason that he wanted to accompany them. With him there, there would be two quasi-Heavenly realm experts among them, greatly increasing their chances of victory and preventing total annihilation. Of course, more importantly, he wanted to participate in this operation.
"No, no need."
Ye Cangtian waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "Senior, you must have faith in me. Have you forgotten what happened today?"
At this statement, Yin Tao fell silent. In his mind, he recalled the events of the day. Ye Cangtian and Yang Chen, leading the Bai family disciples, had not only suffered no casualties while being surrounded but had also severely injured their opponents. This was already a miracle. It also indicated that Ye Cangtian had the ability to handle such situations.
Upon thinking of this, he found it difficult to say anything more. He let out a low hum and said, "Alright, be careful. I will mobilize ten Earthly realm experts to maintain a certain distance from you, ready to support you at your signal…"
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian nodded helplessly. He knew this was Yin Tao's bottom line. If he didn't agree, Yin Tao would never be at ease. Therefore, he could only agree out of helplessness.
After finalizing the roster, Ye Cangtian left the command tent. He had been busy all day and hadn't eaten yet. He intended to get some food and then return to his room to recover his spiritual power.
Not long after stepping out of the command tent, he heard a clamorous sound, accompanied by a rich aroma. Instantly, Ye Cangtian's mouth nearly watered, and he walked over directly.
"Brothers, guess what?"
"When I unleashed my divine and demonic twin axes again, preparing to take down the last two Red Cardinals, Morris finally couldn't hold back. He lunged forward and blocked the flying axe for one of them!"
"But his strength was limited, and he was still taken down by me, one Red Cardinal."
"As a result, that scoundrel's eyes turned red, and he charged at me. I must say, I wasn't panicked at all because Boss was by my side!"
"As expected, Boss didn't disappoint me. He immediately stepped forward, wielding the scythe of death, his large hand sweeping…"
Yang Chen was still in front of the bonfire, enthusiastically boasting about himself and Ye Cangtian like a storyteller, making everyone around him feel passionate and as if they were there. However, at this moment, a familiar figure appeared in Yang Chen's line of sight – it was indeed Ye Cangtian. Seeing the playful smile on Ye Cangtian's face, Yang Chen's voice abruptly stopped.
"Keep talking! What happened next?"
"Hey, why did you stop at such a crucial moment? Don't you know it's immoral to leave people hanging!"
"Yang Chen, Yang Chen…"
Seeing Yang Chen suddenly stop, the crowd erupted in a clamor, urging Yang Chen to continue.
Cough! Cough!
Yang Chen dared not continue. He cleared his throat and quickly approached Ye Cangtian, grinning sheepishly, "Boss, you're here. The brothers were bored, so I was just telling them…"
Hmph!
Ye Cangtian let out a low hum and glared at him, saying unhappily, "Don't you know your own capabilities? Do you want another chance in front of the brothers to see if you can take down nine Red Cardinals in one go?"
Uh…
At these words, Yang Chen instantly lowered his head, rendered speechless. He knew very well that his impressive achievements were entirely due to Ye Cangtian's soul shock. Otherwise, with his own abilities, facing nine Red Cardinals simultaneously, he would have been utterly crushed.
Seeing Ye Cangtian arrive and Yang Chen's predicament, the people around them quickly began to intercede for Yang Chen.
"Lord Ye, please don't be angry. We also know there's a hidden reason behind what Yang Chen said. It's just that the brothers were bored and were listening for amusement!"
"Yes, yes. Although we didn't have the chance to act with Lord Ye, we wanted to experience Your Lordship's demeanor through these stories…"
These people already had a good relationship with Yang Chen. Furthermore, Yang Chen had been at the forefront in battle, lacked airs, and knew how to share joy with them. Therefore, they had a good impression of Yang Chen and couldn't bear to see him being reprimanded.