"Captain, it's this one!"
In the dim forest path, as the bamboo groves on both sides were parted, the view stretched over the endless mountain range below, covered entirely by bamboo, giving the impression of a vast, unbroken expanse of mountains.
At the end of the bamboo grove, at the edge of a cliff, the air seemed to ripple slightly, and suddenly, three towering crimson figures appeared in the transparent air.
These were the ones who had set out to conquer—Juzi , along with the two others, her trusted subordinates she had appointed over the past few days.
Although they had all been recommended by Huo Qing, this still saved them a lot of trouble.
"It looks like these people are assembled... no, they've long prepared for this battle." The leader of the red mechs spoke, her voice sharp and clear, like a yellow oriole, but tinged with the coldness of war. It was clear that over the past days in the military camp, Juzi had quickly adapted to the life of a soldier.
"Yes, through unmanned aerial soul power detection, we've identified five eighth-level Soul Douluo, seventeen Soul Saints, and numerous Soul Emperors among them. Fortunately, the lower-level Soul Masters are few. In total, the number of those with soul power fluctuations is about a thousand, including Great Soul Masters..." another voice from a nearby red mech chimed in.
Inside the mech, a short-haired woman rapidly slid her hand across a holographic screen, continuously zooming in and out. The image on the screen synchronized with the views captured by the unmanned soul-guided device in the air. Even though they were deep within the bamboo forest, the Soul Masters hidden beneath the bamboo were laid bare, exposed in their entirety under the soul power detection, as if stripped of all defenses.
"As for the so-called 'hundred thousand strong army,' they're just a bunch of cannon fodder. They're no match for us. I'd say we should activate the defensive mechanisms and crush them in a few days." The short-haired girl swiped across the screen, and a look of disdain crossed her beautiful face.
"I don't think that's the case." A short-haired girl from another mech spoke coldly.
"Hey, hey, hey! You just have to oppose me, don't you!" The first girl snapped.
"Enough, Linglong. Let Biling share her opinion." Juzi finally spoke, her gaze leisurely focused on the vast mountain range below.
"Yes!" Linglong immediately fell silent. In battle, the captain's orders held absolute authority. Besides, Juzi had a high standing in the mech unit due to her proven abilities in recent battles—she was not a mere figurehead or "window-dressing."
"Captain, we only have one soul-guided group with just over a thousand people. Among them, there is only one titled Douluo—the soul-guided group leader. There are four eighth-level soul masters, sixteen seventh-level soul masters (excluding the mech unit for now), and the lower-level soul masters far outnumber the enemy. Additionally, we have an extra advantage: our mech unit of over a hundred seventh-level soul masters can utilize mobility, agility, and long-range firepower..." Biling stated coldly.
"As for fighting aggressively, we are not at all afraid of them. After all, the strength of a soul master lies in their ability to concentrate power. In a battle, we have the advantage over traditional Soul Masters."
Biling fixed her gaze on Juzi.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Juzi nodded, understanding. "I see. What you're suggesting is not to slowly grind them down with defensive mechanisms, but to take the initiative and strike first."
"Captain, do you want to be a decorative vase, or a true general who commands the trust of the empire on the battlefield? This battle will decide it," Biling said softly.
"...!" Juzi clenched her fist slightly.
She still remembered every detail of Xu Cheng's instructions. To her, being loved by him was happiness. But for a general with aspirations on the battlefield, it would be shameful to be seen merely as a figurehead.
She wanted Xu Cheng's love, but not in a superficial way. She wanted to be a real pillar of the empire, a general who stood strong in front of Xu Cheng.
Of course, she was not foolish enough to sever ties with Xu Cheng and throw away all political resources like some naïve girl in a play.
She would seize every opportunity Xu Cheng gave her and climb higher, believing that a life where both love and career thrived was the best of both worlds.
Standing on the shoulders of giants, her vision would be broader, and she would be able to unlock her full potential.
This battle was, in fact, a test—a test she needed to pass.
Xu Cheng had promoted her from the first regiment's captain directly to the commander of the soul-guided group, overriding Huo Qing's command. To clear out three to four dukes with the power of just one beast soul-guided group was a clear test of her abilities.
At this moment, the gaze of the entire capital was likely focused on this battlefield. Everyone was eager to see how Xu Cheng's chosen candidate would perform.
Using the defensive soul-guided weapons... While it was the safest approach with minimal casualties, it was also slow. The enemy could retreat while they advanced, effectively turning it into a guerrilla war. If that happened, they would become a laughingstock.
Juzis' expression became determined. "In that case, we will initiate the attack first! We won't waste time with defensive wars."
"Delaying will only benefit them. After all, this is technically Duke Yin Yu's territory. As one of the rebels, he can continuously mobilize manpower and resources."
Are ordinary people truly useless?
Not necessarily.
As cannon fodder, they too would use soul-guided weapons, which consumed their soul power. In the original story, it was ordinary soldiers who chased after Juzi and the others, and every time they used a level-four soul-guided cannon, it could wipe out a hundred soldiers in one blast. The glory of the Grand Duke was built on the lives of these cannon fodder.
Thus, they couldn't be completely ignored.
"If we can't defeat them in one go, their morale will continue to decline. We must strike decisively," Juzi said, her beautiful eyes narrowing, her voice filled with determination.
"Get ready. We attack in thirty minutes!"
...
In the thick bamboo forest, a traditional soul master yawned.
"This era... can't even get enough to eat, can't sleep well either," he grumbled impatiently.
"Stop whining. Duke's already been generous enough. Do you think this is the old days? Back when you were a big shot soul master in a small town? Now, you're probably lucky if you even have your life. You and I, stuck at the front, aren't we just cannon fodder? If only we hadn't slacked off and only made it to the Great Soul Master level. If we had made it to the Soul Master rank, we'd have joined the elite troops instead of being cannon fodder." Another older soul master sneered.
"Please, you're fifty years old, and only at the twenty-fourth level of Great Soul Master. Even if you make it to the twenty-ninth level, you know how many geniuses get stuck at Soul Master level?"
The younger soul master laughed, and the older one fell silent, feeling embarrassed.
"But if the duke wins, we'll be able to claim the dragon's credit!" One soul master licked his lips and dreamed.
"Hahaha, right. I've heard the soul masters in Mingdu are supposedly tough, but I don't believe it. I've seen their so-called soul-guided weapons. Their range and power are very limited. They can't even penetrate the Mingdu mountain range. It's all just talk." Another one sneered.
"Is that so? If that's true, I might just march into Mingdu and see what the women there are like." The excited voice continued.
"Heh, if that's true, then Dai Hao's reputation is a joke. The five provincial dukes are united now. We don't need to pay tribute to Mingdu anymore. Once we capture Xu Cheng, we'll hang his body on the city walls, heh heh... I've heard his women are all beautiful."
"This time, though, I've heard the leader of the Fire Phoenix soul-guided group is a woman named Oranges, one of Xu Cheng's women. The entire Fire Phoenix team is all women, and they're all good-looking."
"..."
The old soul master, watching the others chatter excitedly, sighed. He might be the only one who truly understood the power of soul-guided weapons.
He had witnessed it firsthand when, as a young man, he encountered two soul masters battling in the Evil Forest. Despite his own low level, the devastating scene of dozens of soul-guided cannons exchanging fire left a lasting impression.
As he absentmindedly munched on a pancake, a strange humming noise caught his attention.
"Is that a soul beast?"
The old soul master's expression grew tense, his mouse-type martial soul giving him heightened senses, allowing him to avoid many deadly situations.
He crouched down and carefully moved next to a thick bamboo stalk, peering towards the source of the noise.
At the edge of his blurred vision, a silver-white machine hovered in the air, its rotors causing the breeze to flutter his beard.
"That's..."
The old soul master relaxed for a moment—it wasn't a soul master, nor a soul beast.
But as he observed, metallic barrels slowly emerged from the machine. At least a few hundred silver-white machines appeared in the sky, each with four barrels extended.
The sight made him instinctively shrink his neck. An intense, chilling aura seemed to lock onto him—no, it locked onto the entire area.
"No...!" The old soul master suddenly recognized the machine, recalling the soul-guided weapons he had seen decades ago, with their destructive firepower.
But the difference was, back then the cannons had been carried by soul masters. Now, the weapons were carried by machines.
The old soul master's throat went dry as terror spread across his face.
As the first brilliant ray of light erupted from the barrel, he screamed with his last ounce of strength, "Enemy attack!!!"
...
End of Chapter
Author's Note:
In the original work, the glorious Duke relied almost entirely on traditional soul masters, without any soul-guided weapons, and ordinary soldiers still used basic weapons like bows. This situation in the story mirrors historical anomalies where soul-guided weapons were common in major cities but absent in rural areas, reflecting a flawed system under the martial soul framework.