Chapter 116: Stalemate

On the ground stood a series of towering bunkers, each over ten meters high, lined up side by side. Their walls were densely covered with intricate runes, and numerous purple talisman papers were affixed to them. Atop each bunker fluttered large purple banners emblazoned with powerful symbols.

Between the bunkers, spaced ten meters apart, iron fences of equal height connected them. These fences were intricately wrapped with iron wires, copper wires, and red cords, with many purple talisman slips attached, forming a formidable wall.

From the firing slits of the bunkers protruded barrels of six-barrel rotary rapid-fire machine guns and cannons. Judging from the arrangement of these weapons, each bunker had four levels.

This wall, composed of bunkers and iron fences, enclosed a vast tract of land.

A few hundred meters beyond the wall lay orderly rows of prefabricated buildings and military tents.

From above, it was clear that soldiers patrolled the camp. At regular intervals around the perimeter, fluttering talisman banners were planted to guard against wandering spirits and restless ghosts intruding upon the camp.

Several hundred meters beyond the camp lay artillery positions, where numerous self-propelled artillery vehicles, towed cannons, and mortars were arrayed in zones. Even 40-tube multiple launch rocket systems equipped with 122mm rockets were stationed there.

By rough estimation, tens of thousands of troops were stationed here, likely the strength of an entire army group.

Behind the artillery positions, talisman banners were also planted. The area was heavily saturated with yin energy, so dense that all yang energy was entirely absent, creating an environment akin to the netherworld—perfectly suited for the existence of restless spirits.

Consequently, wandering ghosts and wayward souls were continuously drawn here, and these talisman banners mainly served to fend them off.

Li Yunfei observed briefly and discerned the nature of the wall, exclaiming in surprise, “This is... an Iron Siege Formation? Such a massive Iron Siege Formation is unprecedented.”

He Ming responded, “Indeed! Although the Iron Siege Formation is straightforward and lacks special effects, it is the most cost-effective and least resource-consuming formation. Given the vastness of the ancient battlefield, only this formation can barely maintain order.”

“This formation is designed for internal containment, not external defense. Its primary function is to imprison the yin soldiers and ghost generals, preventing them from escaping. The actual extermination must be carried out by the troops. With so few personnel in the Celestial Group, maintaining the formation’s integrity is already a heavy burden; there’s hardly any capacity left for active combat within the formation.”

“The Changping ancient battlefield stretches from Skull Mountain in the west to Hongjia Valley in the east, about 10 kilometers wide, and from Danzhu Ridge in the north to Mishan Town in the south, nearly 30 kilometers long, encompassing over 300 square kilometers.”

“In other words, this colossal Iron Siege Formation has a perimeter exceeding 80 kilometers, containing more than 5,300 bunkers, each five meters in diameter.”

“The bunkers and iron fences were constructed by engineering troops. The formation itself was laid out jointly by more than 2,000 members of the Celestial Group from the Maoshan lineage, with 1,300 members rotating daily to maintain it.”

“Only the Maoshan lineage understands how to set up the formation, but once established, others can simply channel spiritual energy to sustain it.”

“That’s one of the benefits of the Iron Siege Formation—simple and practical. It requires no special operational techniques nor a human formation master. It’s sustained purely by spiritual energy as a hard defensive wall.”

Li Yunfei nodded in understanding, then asked curiously, “The extermination of yin soldiers and ghost generals is done by the army? Ordinary people can’t survive inside the formation’s environment, right? How can they carry out such operations?”

He Ming explained, “They don’t need to enter the formation. The weapons used by the army, whether bullets or shells, have their warheads inscribed with anti-evil runes. The outer layer of explosive material in the shells is mixed with cinnabar powder and other strong yang substances, capable of harming yin soldiers and ghost generals.”

“To prepare for a possible future war against demons and monsters, the state has long anticipated and developed special 3D printers that manufacture warhead casings engraved with anti-evil runes.”

“Once printed, the casings are consecrated and imbued with spiritual power by the Profound Group, activating the runes’ anti-evil potency. Thus, these special munitions are never in short supply.”

Li Yunfei marveled, realizing that war was indeed the greatest catalyst for technological advancement. Once the state apparatus mobilized, even demons and ghosts had to tremble before it.

Yet he remained puzzled. “If that is so, shouldn’t the hot-weapon armies have quickly defeated the cold-weapon forces? Why has the conflict dragged on so long?”

He Ming sighed, “You must understand that although our enemies are yin soldiers, ghost generals, and skeletal warriors—these supernatural beings—they were once living humans and are not mindless spirits like vengeful ghosts. Their intelligence matches ours.”

“At the start of the conflict, because they were unfamiliar with modern weaponry, they were caught off guard when attacking the Iron Siege Formation. Our massive artillery barrage and the machine gun and cannon firestorm wiped out over 100,000 of them.”

“But due to the area’s unique magnetic field, many wandering spirits were attracted here previously. These wandering souls were conscripted into Zhao’s army as yin soldiers and ghost generals, significantly replenishing their numbers.”

“They soon learned tactics. Whenever we opened fire, they burrowed underground, rendering our artillery barrages ineffective.”

“The Earth God Chant can only affect areas within roughly a hundred yards of the Iron Siege Formation; beyond that, it’s powerless. So they can always evade our fire by burrowing.”

“Now, they no longer attack recklessly but engage us in a war of attrition. They can afford to wait; we cannot.”

“In two months, when the ‘Triple Break Day’ arrives, the yin soldiers and ghost generals will grow substantially stronger. By then, we may be utterly unable to stop them.”

“If all else fails, we will have no choice but to launch low-yield tactical nuclear missiles during their full-scale offensive on Triple Break Day to annihilate them.”

“However, this would render hundreds of square kilometers of land unusable for decades. Along with other ancient battlefields, Daxia could lose thousands of square kilometers to wasteland for decades—a tremendous cost.”

The so-called Triple Break Day refers to the day before the Winter Solstice in the twenty-four solar terms.

This day is an extreme yin day, where yin energy is dominant and yang energy wanes. Resentment soars to the heavens, vitality withers, marking the onset of the decay of all things.

On this night, ghosts roam freely, demons dance wildly, and their power peaks far beyond usual levels.

Li Yunfei furrowed his brow, asking, “Can’t we take the initiative? Concentrate our elite forces to enter the formation and exterminate them? Even if it takes time, gradually wiping them out day by day would eventually succeed.”

He Ming smiled bitterly, “Still insufficient strength! The Celestial Group has just over 5,600 members; 1,300 are stationed here in Changping alone—already the largest contingent.”

“Other ancient battlefields receive only a few hundred each, with even greater pressure. Most members are below the Yin God realm, with limited cultivation and prone to heavy casualties.”

“Moreover, they must devote themselves to maintaining the formation’s integrity. Only Ziwei and one Heavenly Stem commander, accompanied by several Yin God experts, can be spared to actively purge ghosts within the formation.”

“But the disparity in forces is too great. Here in Changping, we have only six Yin God experts, each capable of confronting one ghost commander, while Zhao’s army boasts fourteen ghost commanders and over two thousand ghost soldiers.”

“The main general, Zhao Kuo, is at the Ghost King level, requiring at least Golden Core cultivators to contend with him; even peak Yin God experts cannot.”

“Zhao Kuo has been nurtured by the area’s yin energy for over two thousand years, making him much stronger than ordinary Ghost Kings. If it weren’t for the previous lack of spiritual energy, he might have already become a Ghost Immortal. One Golden Core cultivator alone can’t handle him; at least two are needed.”

“We have two Golden Core cultivators currently, so holding Zhao Kuo is manageable. But the number of ghost commanders and soldiers is vast, and the shortage of Yin God experts means any reckless decapitation strike could cause major casualties, which we cannot afford.”

“The battle is at an impasse now, and failing to break through will be extremely disadvantageous.”

“This is precisely why Ziwei values you so highly. Under these circumstances, every additional Yin God expert joining increases our chances of breaking the stalemate.”

Li Yunfei slowly nodded, contemplating silently. He still did not fully grasp the strength of the yin soldiers and ghost generals in the Changping ancient battlefield and dared not make any guarantees.

Once he learned the level of the Changping battlefield’s formation copy, he could estimate the strength of these yin soldiers and ghost generals and have a clearer understanding.