Chapter 354: Practice
"In observing Fellow Daoist's training methods, it seems highly effective. I hope Fellow Daoist can help me train a group of cultivators as well. Of course, the compensation will be more than satisfactory," Qi Shaoqing said.
The last time he secretly observed, he discovered that Wang Hong's subordinates had an exceptionally powerful combat style. He had long wanted to train his own subordinates in the same way. However, he didn't know how to do it, and his subordinates didn't possess such talent. It was only today when he saw these Qi Cultivation cultivators that he realized they had made significant progress after just a few days of training.
He knew that the cultivators currently stationed at the first defense line were a motley crew, often fighting on their own during battles. What was even worse was their tendency to slack off, shirk their responsibilities, or even undermine their teammates.
Therefore, building trust and cooperation among these people was extremely difficult.
"I'm sorry, but I can't make a decision on this matter. I'll need East Master's approval," Qi Shaoqing proposed a deal but only invited him. Wen Lan naturally couldn't agree.
"Yes, yes, I didn't consider it properly. I'll inquire with Wang Fellow Daoist about this matter later," Qi Shaoqing chuckled.
While the three of them were talking, a Transmission Talisman flew in from outside and landed in Wen Lan's hand.
Wen Lan pointed his finger at the Transmission Talisman, receiving the message on it. His expression changed immediately.
"Wen Fellow Daoist, is there any problem?" Qi Shaoqing asked.
"A group of Demonic Beasts is attacking from the front and is now within five miles of our location," Wen Lan reported.Qi Shaoqing and Shi Fei's faces turned serious upon hearing this. They knew that there were only a little over two thousand people stationed at this base, and facing five times the number of Demonic Beasts would be a tough challenge.
However, Qi Shaoqing quickly regained his calm demeanor and asked, "Wen Fellow Daoist, when I set out this time, I brought twenty Foundation Building cultivators with me. They are willing to help you resist the Demonic Beasts."
"Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist!" Wen Lan hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
Shi Fei, seeing Qi Shaoqing's willingness to help, also offered his assistance.
Originally, Wen Lan didn't have much confidence, but now with an additional forty Foundation Building cultivators, along with the caravan's manpower and some of the original defenders, they had a total of eighty Foundation Building cultivators.
With this force, he was now confident that they could handle the ten thousand Demonic Beasts without needing support from Wang Hong.
"Both of you, please follow me," Wen Lan led the two of them out of the main hall and into the Training Ground where the previous exercises had taken place.
At this moment, over a thousand people were lined up in formation on the Training Ground, standing silently. The atmosphere was solemn, with only the sound of the three of them entering and distant beastly roars breaking the silence.
Wen Lan ascended a platform and spoke loudly, "Everyone, another group of Demonic Beasts has attacked and is now just over four miles away from here. The upcoming battle will be a fight for our lives. If we don't repel the Demonic Beasts, no one will make it out of this base alive!"
"At the same time, the one who displays the most courage and kills the most Demonic Beasts in this battle will receive priority when I distribute Foundation Establishment Pills in the next round. Let this be our motivation!"
Wen Lan didn't bother with lofty ideals about fighting for the Human Clan; these people hadn't developed that level of consciousness yet. Instead, he simply told them that losing meant death, and winning had benefits – a straightforward approach.
As he spoke, some people began distributing bottles of Spirit Wine to everyone. Each person received one bottle. The previous exercises had consumed a significant amount of Spiritual Power, so it was essential to replenish it before reentering battle.
Then, Wen Lan began to arrange the battle tasks, and everything was organized in an orderly manner, showing the demeanor of a great general.
Qi Shaoqing had been silently observing all this time, and his heart was filled with envy. How could Wang Hong have so many talented individuals by his side? Wen Lan, who was merely in charge of the caravan under Wang Hong, had such remarkable abilities.
After receiving the Spirit Wine, these people formed groups just as they had during the training and, under the leadership of their respective leaders, headed to their assigned positions.
Qi Shaoqing and Shi Fei brought their people and formed two separate groups, responsible for rescuing those in danger at various locations.
Qi Shaoqing noticed that these people were now standing on the city walls, looking serious. Each of them had their Magical Weapons ready, in a state where they could activate them at any moment. It was a far cry from the disorganized mob they had been before. He had also experienced several battles against Demonic Beasts by now.
In the past, it would take at least a quarter of an hour to gather everyone after the assembly signal was blown, and then they would slowly make their way to their respective defense areas. While waiting on the city walls for the Demonic Beasts to arrive, there were all sorts of behaviors on display.
Some were fighting over advantageous positions for killing Demonic Beasts, while others were more timid, trying to hide in the back of the crowd.
There were also some who liked to act sophisticated, deliberately sitting in prominent positions on the city walls, meditating with closed eyes before the Demonic Beasts arrived.
And then there were those who believed they had an air of elegance, not making any preparations, standing with their hands behind their backs, looking up at the sky.
In any case, it was all paid for with Spirit Stones, accommodating all kinds of people.
The individuals before them, however, seemed to have predetermined positions, and none of them hesitated, swiftly moving to their designated spots. Their postures also seemed to follow a fixed standard, with almost identical movements depending on the task.
The battle quickly began, and Qi Shaoqing noticed that although it was intense, the death rate among the cultivators on the city walls had significantly decreased due to their better cooperation.
Especially impressive were the ten teams, each consisting of around forty members, all in the later stages of Qi Cultivation. Their performance was outstanding. In the area they were defending, not a single Demonic Beast had managed to climb the city wall so far, and they occasionally assisted other nearby teams as well.
With the additional assistance of the forty Foundation Building cultivators brought by Qi Shaoqing and Shi Fei, the defense battle, while intense, was not overly strenuous.
This battle had only been going on for two hours when the Demonic Beast horde below the city walls, leaving a field of corpses behind, began to retreat.
Wen Lan even took control of a Flying Boat, leading a group of Foundation Building cultivators to chase after the retreating Demonic Beasts, seizing the opportunity to kill many more.
He didn't believe that his stronghold was a place where Demonic Beasts could come and go as they pleased, and he wasn't willing to let them escape so easily. Although he usually appeared refined and gentle, he was a person who would bite back when bitten by a dog.
After being attacked by the Demonic Beasts for two hours, he certainly wouldn't be willing to let them go without a fight.
The casualties in this battle were not significant, but they had killed a considerable number of Demonic Beasts, resulting in a substantial harvest of Demonic Beast materials. When it all added up, it was still a profitable venture.
After collecting a large number of spoils, Wen Lan generously distributed items to Qi Shaoqing and Shi Fei as a token of appreciation for their assistance.
This battle served as a practical test of the results of their recent training. While not as impressive as Wang Hong's original team, they were starting to show some promise.
Qi Shaoqing, who had witnessed the entire battle, couldn't help but be envious. After completing the transaction here, he hastily departed.
He yearned for this kind of power and hoped to have a group of subordinates like this. He intended to discuss the matter with Wang Hong, hoping that Wang Hong would agree to help him train some of his own subordinates.
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