Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The ink-black shuttle glided above the night clouds, as smoothly as a weightless leaf.

Inside the main cabin, Zhao Qingyan had already projected a light and shadow map onto the cabin wall. It was densely marked with the distribution of major forces in the Tianyuan Realm, the characteristics of sects, famous figures, and even potential opponents that needed to be watched out for, which were specially marked with red circles.

"Come here, everyone." Shen Mo's voice rang out in the main cabin. It wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it clearly.

Shi Tie was the first to put down his half-wiped axe, Wang Hu sheathed his sword, Su Xiao silently emerged from the shadows, Li Xiaocao hurriedly ran out of the alchemy room, still clutching half a "evening primrose" that she hadn't had time to put away, and A Tu also got up from the passageway and patted off non-existent dust from his clothes.

Six people gathered around the map. The other four inner disciples who were with them also came closer, holding their breath.

Shen Mo didn't look at the map. His gaze swept across the faces of the group, and he slowly said, "The Tianyuan Tournament is nominally a competition and exchange among the younger generation, but you all know what it's really like."

"Seize territory, seize resources, seize reputation," Shi Tie muttered.

"That's right." Shen Mo nodded. "So once you're on stage, no one will talk to you about morality. Holding back is suicide. I'm going to talk about a few types of people today, so remember them."

He reached out and pointed his fingertip at the location marked "Heavenly Sword Sect" on the map.

"The first type is the prestigious sects, which have many rules and high standards. For example, the Heavenly Sword Sect is mostly composed of sword cultivators who believe in 'one sword can break all techniques.' When fighting them, don't try to use tricks. Either you need to break their sword stance by going head-to-head, or you need to be faster than them and take them down before they can draw their sword. Remember, a sword cultivator's killing move is often in the first three moves. If you can survive that, you'll have a chance."

Wang Hu's eyes lit up slightly, clearly indicating that he had thought of something.

Shen Mo's finger moved to "Mount Hundred Beasts".

"The second type is the Beast Taming Sect. Their own cultivation may not be as good as yours, but they have spirit beasts that work together seamlessly, making it equivalent to two against one or even three against one. To deal with these people, you either need to cripple them first or kill their beasts first. But be careful, some spirit beasts are connected to their masters by soul, so the death of the beast and the injury to the master can actually create an opportunity."

Atu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"The third category," Shen Mo's finger landed on several forces marked in gray, "is rogue cultivators, or ruthless characters from small sects. These people don't have many rules; they might use any underhanded tricks—poison, hidden weapons, illusions, talisman arrays…it's impossible to defend against them. When fighting them, keep your eyes open and don't be fooled by appearances. Often, the more inconspicuous they are, the more dangerous they are."

Su Xiao's gaze lingered on a few gray dots for a moment.

"The fourth category," Shen Mo paused, his finger finally pointing to the center of the map, the location marked with golden runes that represents "Tianyuan City," "the three holy lands and those top-tier families. They have complete cultivation techniques, abundant resources, and a constant stream of trump cards."

"When you encounter this type of person, don't hold back. Go all out from the start and try to finish the battle quickly. The longer it drags on, the greater their advantage becomes."

The cabin was quiet, with only the faint hum of the Moyun shuttle in flight.

"Sect Leader," Zhao Qingyan suddenly spoke, pointing to several forces marked with array symbols on the map, "how do we deal with those like the 'Heavenly Evolution Sect' and the 'Earthly Fiend Sect,' which excel in arrays and talismans?"

"Array formations and talismans, in essence, rely on external forces." Shen Mo looked at her. "Your Yin-Yang Array Diagram's core lies in 'change' and 'borrowing power.' When facing them, don't think about breaking the array; instead, find ways to disrupt and throw it into chaos, preventing them from borrowing power, or causing them to borrow the wrong power. As for talismans..."

He turned to Li Xiaocao: "Xiaocao, how many of the 'Spell-Breaking Pills' and 'Spirit-Dispersing Powders' did you bring?"

Li Xiaocao was taken aback, then quickly pulled out a small notebook from her bosom, flipping through it noisily: "Breaking Law Pills... I brought twenty bottles, three pills per bottle. Spirit Dispersing Powder... fifteen packets, all enhanced versions, capable of interfering with the spiritual energy circulation of cultivators below the Golden Core stage for about three breaths..."

"That's enough." Shen Mo nodded. "These kinds of things are for crucial moments, don't skimp on them."

He then looked at Shi Tie and Wang Hu: "You two, how's your battle formation coordination training going?"

I'm currently reading Chapter 479, "Cloud Shuttle Night Talk," and I'm completely engrossed in it.

Shi Tie grinned and nudged Wang Hu with his elbow: "Hu Zi, how about showing off your skills to the sect leader?"

Wang Hu didn't speak, but silently got up and walked to a relatively spacious area inside the cabin. Shi Tie also stood up, and the two stood on either side of each other, about three zhang apart.

There were no commands, no eye contact.

Shi Tie moved.

He took a step forward, causing the ground to tremble slightly. He was like a wild bear that had suddenly sprung up, and his giant axe swept across the ground with a dull whistling sound.

Almost simultaneously, Wang Hu moved, not forward, but diagonally taking two steps, drawing his long sword. The blade flashed like a line of cold water, grazing the blind spot of the stone axe shadow.

One is strong, the other is gentle; one is heavy, the other is light, yet they create a strange harmony.

The axe's shadow blocked all avenues for evasion from the front, while the blade's light locked down any escape routes from the flanks. The two men's auras were subtly connected, creating a sense of being one.

Shen Mo observed for three breaths, then nodded: "That's enough. Remember, battle is not a performance. Once on stage, life and death hang in the balance, and things must change much faster."

The two men stopped their movements and returned to their original positions, sweat beading on their foreheads. Clearly, those few moves were not as easy as they appeared.

Zhao Qingyan raised her hand, her fingertips shimmering with spiritual light as she rapidly sketched in the air before her. Lines intersected, forming a constantly shifting, illusory array.

From the basic changes of square and circle, to the integration of the five elements' generating and restraining relationships, and then to simulating the killing formation of heaven, earth, and man... in just a dozen breaths, she demonstrated seven different strategies for changing formations.

"I've currently deduced thirteen basic variations," she said, putting away her inspiration and catching her breath slightly, "but in actual application, it depends on the opponent and the venue."

"That's enough." A hint of approval flashed in Shen Mo's eyes. "The essence of formations lies in 'adapting to circumstances,' not in rote memorization. Once you're on stage, trust your intuition."

He then looked at Su Xiao: "Your task is the most important. Not only do you have to fight, but you also have to observe. Memorize as much as you can of everyone's moves, habits, and weaknesses. Pay special attention to those who might try to harm us."

Su Xiao nodded slightly without speaking, but the meaning in her eyes was clear: she understood.

Finally, Shen Mo looked at A Tu: "Ground spirit perception isn't just for finding minerals and spiritual veins. The arena is also 'ground,' and your opponent's spiritual energy circulation and footwork will cause subtle changes in 'ground energy.' Try to sense it; even if you can only detect it half a breath in advance, it's still an advantage."

A-Tu scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "Sect Leader, I... I'll give it a try. But this isn't easy to practice. Sometimes it feels right, and sometimes it feels like an illusion..."

"Practice," Shen Mo said, uttering only one word.

He went on to explain some details, such as how to gracefully admit defeat when faced with an opponent who is clearly no match for you, how to deal with someone who is deliberately trying to kill you, and how to help each other in case of an emergency... He went into great detail, and the young disciples listened with increasingly solemn expressions.

By the time they finished speaking, it was completely dark outside. Starlight streamed in through the crystal window, falling onto the cabin floor and shattering into a silvery frost.

"Go and rest, everyone." Shen Mo waved his hand. "Qingyan has arranged the duty roster. Starting tomorrow, we'll cultivate during the day and practice tactics at night. Once we get to Tianyuan City, it won't be this peaceful."

The crowd dispersed. Zhao Qingyan indeed took out a piece of paper, quickly wrote a few lines, and pasted it on the cabin wall. It showed the duty roster and time, two hours per person, starting at midnight tonight.

Shi Tie and Wang Hu huddled together, whispering about how their teamwork could be improved.

Li Xiaocao was pulled by A-Tu and squatted in a corner. A-Tu held up a piece of ore covered in dirt that he had pulled out from somewhere and whispered, "Sister Xiaocao, smell this. Does it smell like 'earth vein essence'? I feel like this smell is a little familiar..."

Li Xiaocao actually leaned over and smelled it, then frowned and thought for a moment: "It's somewhat similar, but it's mixed with something else... Wait, don't move, I'll try it with the 'Qi-Detecting Powder'..."

Su Xiao had vanished. But Shen Mo could sense that she was at one of the best observation points on the roof, keeping watch through the night.

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