Meanwhile, the marching of the nearly three thousand cultivators of the Flash Raid force had finally arrived at the northwestern edge of the Abyssal Forest. Following the directions sent by the scouts and also the traces left behind by the cultivators of the Impervious Flare Sect, they eventually reached a place that was akin to a labyrinth of canyons and beast-haunted caves.
It was there that the Impervious Flare Sect had established its forward operating base, circling the Anchor that they were trying to accelerate the breach.
For the patrons of the Divine Convenience Store, their current campaign was both daunting and exhilarating. They were an army of a chaotic but unified mass of sects, clans, groups and rogue cultivators, all connected by the glowing screens of their Viewing Jades and a shared, fervent belief in convenience.
A rogue cultivator named Feng, a gruff middle-aged man who had spent decades surviving on the fringes of the Abyssal Forest, stared at the scene with a sense of disbelief.
He clutched the [Convenience Combat Kit] in his hand, the talismans and pills within worth more than he had earned in the last year.
Around him, a young disciple from a minor sect was nervously checking a strategy thread on his Viewing Jade, while a team of mercenaries was reactivating their [Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seals], their bodies glowing with borrowed power as they prepared to face the enemies.
"Hoh. Never thought I'd see this day," Feng muttered to his companion, another veteran rogue. "The great sects and we common folk, fighting the same battle, under the same banner. The Shopkeeper's banner."
His companion grunted in agreement. This veteran's eyes were fixed on the nearly one thousand Celestial Duelists who had formed the vanguard.
"Just wait for the signal. We cannot fall behind them."
High above on a temporary command platform, erected by a quickly deployed store-bought formation, Liu Zhongzu stood beside the Crown Prince of the Southern Wu Kingdom and the other Sect Masters and Clan Heads who didn't participate in the operation against Xiu Jian, his gaze sweeping over the assembled army. The reports from their advance scouts, facilitated by the new Tactical Data Stream, continued to pour in.
Not far from their location, they could already see the enemy forces dug in a well-fortified fortress. A defensive formation was erected. It pulsated with a hostile, flaming aura. Behind it, hundreds of Impervious Flare Sect disciples and a handful of Elders under the lead of Elder Jinshi stood nearby. They had naturally been expecting them to reach their location.
However, there was a subtle shift in their demeanor. A flicker of uncertainty.
The news of the Void Refinement Stage expert had clearly reached them. On top of that, they had just seen the phenomenon of unnatural tribulation clouds gathering and smiting someone from the sky above Fanling City even at their location. And the fact that it was only the Minor Tribulation of the so-called Shopkeeper of the Divine Convenience Store hit their morale.
Unfortunately, they were already there. And they must follow the plan of the Violethaven Temple.
Their numbers, even if it was dwarfed by the patrons participating in the Flash Raid, were still formidable. Their Sect Master Yan Zhaolie was also present at the Anchor behind them, his Void Refinement aura serving as their pillar of strength.
They were digging in for a siege, hoping to bleed the 'rabble' of the Eastern Abyssal Domain dry.
Little did they know, what they were facing was far from conventional.
Liu Zhongzu looked at his Viewing Jade, checking the time. He then glanced back towards the direction of Fanling City. The massive, heaven-shaking tribulation that had just occurred had already dissipated.
A triumphant grin spread across his face. "The Shopkeeper has succeeded. The heavens themselves have acknowledged his power."
He turned to the assembled leaders. "The Shopkeeper's order stands. We will not lay an ordinary siege. We will not bleed our people against their walls. We will show them the overwhelming, undeniable power of convenience. We will break their spirit before we even draw our weapons."
He raised his hand, his voice amplified by his spiritual energy, booming over the entire valley.
"Cultivators of the Divine Convenience Store! The enemy awaits behind their walls! They believe we are a disorganized mob! They believe they can withstand us! What do we say to that?!"
"For convenience!" The roar that erupted from three thousand throats was a physical force, shaking the ground and echoing in the surrounding canyon, which caused the enemy's defensive formation to ripple.
"Then let us show them!" Liu Zhongzu commanded. "Celestial Duelists! Activate your fields! Prepare for mass summoning!"
At the front of the army, a thousand cultivators, from young Red Lotus Academy students to experienced sect elders who had embraced the new path, stepped forward in unison.
They raised their wrists, and a thousand Celestial Duel Gears glowed with a blinding, unified light.
One thousand Celestial Fields expanded, creating a vast, shimmering carpet of multicolored spiritual energy that stretched across the canyon floor, pushing back the ambient gloom of the night.
Within the Impervious Flare Sect's fortress, the disciples watched with widening eyes. Elder Jinshi, standing on the ramparts, frowned.
"What is this theater?" He sneered, his voice carrying over the distance. "Do you think pretty lights will break my sect's defenses? You are fools, led by a merchant!"
Amidst his shout, the summons began.
One thousand duelists, one thousand hands slapping down cards onto their Celestial Fields. The sky above the army lit up as if a thousand new constellations had been born at once.
A pack of roaring [Stormfang Wolves] materialized, their claws tearing up the earth as they charged. A flock of [Azure-winged Griffins] screeched as they took to the sky, their shadows blanketing the enemy positions. Elegant [Camellia Sword Maidens] appeared in a shower of petals, their blades drawn and ready. A chorus of [Sapphire Melodies] and [Jade Serenades] rose, their beautiful hymns carrying a subtle, disorienting spiritual power that rattled the enemy's senses.
And that was just the first wave.
They immediately hit the defensive formation while flaming arrows, spells and other long-range techniques rained down from the fortress. However, even after annihilating the first wave, more spiritual projections flared up from the Celestial Duelists' Fields.
Higher-level summons began to appear, stomping onto the battlefield as the Celestial Duelists continued drawing new cards, activating [Spell Cards] or sacrificing lower-level [Unit Cards] to summon higher-level ones.
A hulking [Ironscale Basilisk] emerged, its gaze turning the very rock beneath it to brittle stone. A squadron of [Celestial Knights] on shimmering steeds charged forth, their lances glowing with holy light.
The Impervious Flare Sect's disciples frantically launched spells and arrows, but it was like trying to empty an ocean with a bucket.
For every summon they destroyed, two more took their place. The Celestial Duelists, protected behind the lines and sustained by [Energy Replenishing Candies], were a relentless, inexhaustible engine of spiritual warfare.
It didn't take long before their defensive formation shattered as it failed to withstand the accumulated damage from the uneven strengths of the summons.
CRACK! BOOM!
With a sound like tearing silk followed by a deafening explosion, the fortress's flaming barrier shattered into a million fiery shards. The formation masters maintaining it were thrown back, coughing up blood, their spiritual energy reserves completely drained.
With that, the fortress became defenseless. The Impervious Flare Sect disciples and elders prepared themselves to face the charging enemies.
"Cannon fodder," Yan Wei sneered, his own Celestial Field glowing with a fierce, competitive light. He was at the forefront of the charge, leading his elite Azure Gale disciples. "Hmph. Now that it's open, the glory of the first strike belongs to this young master!"
He didn't waste a second. After summoning three units, he sacrificed them to summon a Level 4 Unit Card. "Come forth, [Whirlwind Wyrm]!"
"Go!" Yan Wei commanded. "Clear a path to the gates!"
The wyrm shrieked with glee and shot forward, producing a miniature tornado that ripped through the Impervious Flare Sect's defensive formation. It instantly destroyed some mounted defenses at the wall, scattered disciples and shattered crude stone barricades with contemptuous ease.
Yan Wei and his team surged into the breach he had created, their wind-based techniques a blur of green and silver as they cut down the dazed and confused enemies.
Not far away, Zhou Rui led his Crimson Vale contingent with a completely different strategy.
"Hold the line!" He commanded, his crimson aura a steady, reassuring presence. "Protect the flanks! Don't let the rogue teams get overwhelmed!"
His team acted as a bulwark. Their powerful, crimson-qi attacks intercept any Impervious Flare disciples who tried to flank the main charge. He saw a small mercenary team about to be cornered by a group of elite enemies.
"Senior Brother Chen, with me!" Zhou Rui roared. He and a senior disciple broke from their line, their combined assault a wave of fiery crimson that crashed into the enemy flank, saving the mercenary team from certain annihilation. The mercenaries gave him a grateful, astonished look before rejoining the fight with renewed vigor. Zhou Rui gave a curt nod. He was not here for glory; he was here to ensure the Shopkeeper's will was done.
The battle devolved into a chaotic battle. The Impervious Flare Sect was competent, but they were facing an army of three thousand cultivators backed by an army of several thousand spiritual summons. It was an inconvenient absurdity.