The two Gale Force soldiers who had quietly approached the city walls did not rashly advance any further. If they got too close, the city's formation would surely react, triggering a response that could cause significant trouble.
Lacking full emotions and driven solely by loyalty to the Empire, the Gale Force soldiers calmly circled the entire city.
Not only did they meticulously collect data on the city's size, but they also gathered various other details, such as the angles of the city walls and the condition of the surrounding land and grass. All this information was transmitted to the headquarters of the Huaxia Empire's Tiangong Department.
However, the reconnaissance of the Gale Force soldiers wasn't just that simple.
One of the Gale Force soldiers suddenly produced a small metal disc, clearly a soul device designed by the Tiangong Department and crafted by the skilled artisans of the Huogong Department. The formation patterns on the metal disc made it evident that it was related to formation work.
The Gale Force soldier held the metal disc, infused it with soul power, and then, with a steady flick of the wrist, sent the disc flying toward a corner of the city.
The metal disc, charged with soul power, flew towards the corner of the city without triggering the formation at all. It landed on the base of the city wall, perfectly concealed among the grass, making it difficult to detect unless someone looked very closely.
The metal disc seemed to possess a strong magnetic force, sticking firmly to the wall. It emitted subtle formation waves, gradually infiltrating the city's existing formation.
Seeing that the metal disc had taken effect, the Gale Force soldier moved to another corner of the city wall and repeated the process, placing another disc.
Meanwhile, the other Gale Force soldier also successfully placed two metal discs.
Afterward, both Gale Force soldiers crouched down at opposite city walls, waiting silently. The metal discs they had placed began to work quietly, subtly altering the structure of the city's formation and secretly imprinting it with the mark of the Huaxia Empire.
The Battle Plains in the third space was merely an outer space controlled by the two alien tribes, but it was also a densely populated area.
The five hundred cities in this space were the targets of the Gale Force soldiers, and their mission was to gather data on the cities and deploy the metal discs provided by the Tiangong Department.
As night fell, the Gale Force soldiers, who had remained motionless by the city walls, found a shadowy spot under the moonlight and began digging a small hole.
One of the Gale Force soldiers hid inside the hole, while the other restored the grassland surface, making it impossible to tell that a hiding place had been dug.
Once everything was done, the Gale Force soldier who had covered the tracks took advantage of the night to return along the same route.
At the Huaxia Empire's Tiangong Department headquarters on Xuanyuan Star, Zhuge Ming sat leisurely on a high platform, brewing tea. After taking a sip, he smacked his lips in satisfaction.
In front of him floated numerous large tactical mirrors, displaying all kinds of information and images of various cities.
The number of Xunyin Tribe and Wuxing Tribe members within each city, their strength, and the internal structure of the cities were all displayed with perfect clarity.
The behavior of the metal discs resembled a formation virus. After infiltrating and breaking through the formations, each city fell under Zhuge Ming's surveillance.
"Prime Minister, you seem to be quite relaxed!" At that moment, a voice suddenly came from beside Zhuge Ming.
Splurt!
When Zhuge Ming turned his head, he was so startled that he spat out his tea.
However, Ji Qing, who had been standing beside him, had already moved to his other side, the black mist that had previously surrounded him now dissipated.
Ji Qing glanced at the tactical mirrors floating in mid-air, then looked at Zhuge Ming, who was wiping tea from the corner of his mouth, and shook his head repeatedly.
"Captain Ji, you really have a knack for sneaking up on people. Can't you at least give me a heads-up when you approach?" Zhuge Ming grumbled, slamming his tea cup on the table in front of him. "This is the Tiangong Department, not your shadow world. Can't you notify me before showing up?"
"Zhuge, come on, we're old friends. Do I really need to announce my arrival when visiting you?" Ji Qing grinned as he threw an arm around Zhuge Ming's shoulders. "Besides, His Majesty has declared war, and here you are, sipping tea at such a critical moment?"
"Even though His Majesty has declared a full-scale war, what does this city-based war really matter?" Zhuge Ming shrugged off Ji Qing's arm and replied casually, "The Xunyin Tribe and Wuxing Tribe are nothing in the face of the Imperial Army led by His Majesty."
"Hahaha, too bad we can't be by His Majesty's side for the Empire's first real war. It's such a shame," Ji Qing said, brushing aside the long hair that had fallen over his forehead. He frowned and asked, "When will the puppet body plan be completed?"
"The full collection of refining techniques hasn't been found yet, and we don't even have a clear idea of the materials needed. We have to wait patiently for His Majesty to bring us good news. It's a tough burden on His Majesty." Zhuge Ming sighed heavily as he spoke.
"Let's focus on helping His Majesty win this war for now," Ji Qing said as he gazed at the images on the tactical mirrors, showing cities where the formations had been breached and thoroughly modified. A look of nostalgia crossed his face. "I miss the days when His Majesty conquered other empires and eventually ruled all of Xuanyuan Star."
"Indeed!" Zhuge Ming sighed as he looked at the ever-growing number of city images on the tactical mirrors.
On Lin Qian's side, after receiving a report from Zhuge Ming about the city's successful breaches, he was very satisfied with the current progress.
Seeing Lin Qian's satisfied expression, Yuan Xiang was puzzled. Was sending people to scout out the cities' locations really something to be so smug about?
"I must remind you," Yuan Xiang said, "that our easy success so far was because we entered the cities directly through portals. When you truly go to war with the Xunyin Tribe and Wuxing Tribe, the first thing you'll have to deal with is their formations!"
Hearing Yuan Xiang's reminder, Lin Qian's face showed a hint of disdain. "Of course, I understand such an obvious point. The reason I sent the Gale Force out was to control the formations in their cities."
"Control the formations?" Yuan Xiang found this concept intriguing and didn't quite grasp what Lin Qian meant.
"It's simple. Senior, why don't you fly over to the nearest city and see for yourself? But let me remind you, make sure to conceal yourself well so that no one notices you."
Intrigued by Lin Qian's words, Yuan Xiang followed the direction Lin Qian pointed and flew off.
A short while later, Yuan Xiang returned, his expression one of shock, and the first thing he did was rush over to Lin Qian. "What on earth is going on?"