My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2302: 1723: Transformation of the Taiwei Saint Emperor (Part 2)
Previously on My Simulated Road to Immortality...
As Mountain Lian uttered those words, a ray of brilliance erupted from the Mountain Sea Holy Dynasty, extending all the way to the Other Shore.
The projection came straight from Taiwei Saint Emperor, transmitting the visions he had perceived.
Through a backward transmission, Taiwei had already pushed forward into the Mountain Sea realm first, only to get ensnared by the Devouring Net.
Thanks to the profound understandings gained by more than ten thousand fortunate souls regarding the Path of Mountain Sea Living Beings, the energy Taiwei Saint Emperor expended traversing the Mountain and Sea Veins turned out to be almost nothing.
This stood in sharp opposition to the grueling efforts endured by figures like the Opportunist, Bai Xiao, and Fang Cun.
Witnessing this opening move, the entire assembly of Saints felt a collective tremor of awe.
They watched with intense scrutiny.
Much to their astonishment, the initial action Taiwei Saint Emperor took upon stepping into the Mountain Sea vanguard with his power largely intact proved utterly unforeseen.
Confronting the initial surge of savage beasts that lunged at him right upon landing, Taiwei Saint Emperor deliberately scattered his entire cultivation base!
This abrupt decline in the prey's might made the once-rampaging creatures hesitate.
Given the enormous disparity in their strengths, effortless elimination wouldn't align with the principles enforced by the Devouring Net. Hence, following a short pause, the initial batch of conjured beasts dissolved into thin air.
Following that, perhaps reevaluating Taiwei Saint Emperor's level of power, a momentary quiet settled over them.
“What a shrewd play by Taiwei Daoist! To shatter the deadlock, you can't let it dictate the pace. This opening gambit of seizing control has thrown the Net's consumption mechanics into disarray.”
“Yet, it's unclear how Taiwei will endure in that perilous realm without his cultivation base?”
“Taiwei Daoist surely has a strategy in mind; let's observe with patience.”
…
Taiwei Saint Emperor's deliberate dispersal of his cultivation base was a calculated scheme through and through.
It served as both a strategic withdrawal and a bold progression.
Rather than scattering his might aimlessly, he launched a precise counterstrike.
Exploiting the interval as the Devouring Net recalibrated, Taiwei Saint Emperor channeled his released essence to awaken awareness in nearby creatures.
Among them were raw fighters radiating wild auras, cunning tacticians with sharp gazes.
Not to mention hordes of bold yet naive troops.
Within mere instants, a miniature “Holy Dynasty” sprang into existence.
Drawing on his ages of command over the Mountain Sea Holy Dynasty, Taiwei Saint Emperor directed this fresh band of followers with effortless authority.
They shielded the now powerless Saint Emperor, devoid of cultivation or might, right in their midst, bracing for the oncoming assault from the monsters.
These so-called monsters posed threats solely to typical humans.
Against the forces awakened by Taiwei Saint Emperor, they barely qualified as rivals.
As if cutting down mere poultry, the foes fell in a flash.
From the opening wave of Net-spawned monsters, a third perished, another third got devoured by the Holy Dynasty warriors and transformed into their own vigor.
The last third received enlightenment, were enlisted, and swelled the Holy Dynasty's forces.
Reclining at ease amid his ranks, the Saint Emperor exuded serene assurance.
He anticipated the next onslaught of adversaries.
On the Other Shore, the watching Saints mostly reeled in shock.
“Is this actually possible?”
“The Devouring Net crafts its spawned monsters from the intruder's cultivation, always pushing them a notch too far, draining every ounce of potential in the fray. But now Taiwei Daoist operates at mere mortal tier, backed by a squad of savage fighters… Doesn't this make him untouchable?”
“It's hardly that straightforward. The Net will adapt without delay. Even if Taiwei's core power is diminished, the warriors under his sway count as extensions of his own force.”
“Still, by claiming these early edges, Taiwei Daoist might just crack the impasse this round!”
The Saints grew more hopeful, their attention locked on the unfolding drama.
True to the Saints' foresight, the Devouring Net, having paused its attacks briefly, soon shifted tactics once more.
The succeeding wave of hostile monsters displayed evident superiority over the prior one.
Nearly on par with the Holy Dynasty's troops, the fierce clash ended in a slim triumph for the Holy Dynasty.
The freshly assembled unit under Taiwei Saint Emperor dwindled to under a fifth of its size.
The Net's rapid recalibration caught some off guard, yet it kept foes locked in that razor-edge dance between survival and demise.
Despite the apparent setback, Taiwei Saint Emperor lifted his eyes to the heavens, a enigmatic grin playing on his lips.
The Devouring Net offered scant breathing room.
The Holy Dynasty's warriors had scarcely recovered when the third wave descended.
Yet the battlefield took on an uncanny vibe all of a sudden.
Even though this third wave outmatched the second in power,
The Holy Dynasty's forces handled them with surprising ease.
What was once a clash of equals now tilted faintly in their favor!
“What in the world is happening?” the Saints whispered in bewilderment.
Yet a closer look unveiled the secret right away.
In truth, as the fight kicked off, Taiwei Saint Emperor advanced straight to the vanguard.
Where the imperial standard flew, fervor swept like a tidal wave.
Troops already brave by nature now battled with bloodshot determination.
Riding a surge of unstoppable drive, guided by the Saint Emperor like a coiling serpent, they sliced through the opposition effortlessly.
The deadlock that had gripped the field flipped dramatically thanks to the Saint Emperor—meant to stay back—emerging on the front lines.
It morphed into utter dominance!
They claimed a resounding win, offsetting the earlier toll.
The ranks swiftly regrouped and bolstered their numbers.
Once the standard praises wrapped up, Taiwei Saint Emperor withdrew to safety.
From this skirmish's spoils, Taiwei Saint Emperor claimed none, sharing everything with his followers.
As a mere mortal, he orchestrated hordes of brutal beasts.
Taiwei Saint Emperor managed it all with unflappable poise.
His stare fixed ahead, he silently braced for the forthcoming enemy surge.
…
“Victory strikes again!”
“Taiwei Daoist truly shines!”
“Looks like we've somewhat overlooked Taiwei Daoist's depths before. Treating the warzone like his game board, clashing with the Net head-on—that's where his real prowess emerges.” Bai Xiao blurted out in admiration.
Li Faan, a former emperor in his own right.
Instantly grasped the elegance of Taiwei's maneuvers.
“Monsters birthed by the Devouring Net have to obey certain guidelines.”
“Yet the might of troops loyal to Taiwei defies easy measurement or prediction. The wild card remains Taiwei Saint Emperor in person.”
“Just having the Saint Emperor nearby skyrockets the fighters' spirit and fighting prowess. It more than doubles their edge!”
“If the Net bases its projections on past guesses, it'll gravely misjudge his total might. And whether the Saint Emperor steps up front? That's entirely up to his mood. Even the Three Saints couldn't foresee it…”
“The Net fares no better.”
“Now, suppose the attacking monsters get shaped around the troops' highest morale, fired up by the Saint Emperor…”
“That's exactly the outcome Taiwei Saint Emperor craves!”
Li Faan's mind raced with insight.
The events that followed played out precisely as he envisioned.
On this occasion, the approaching foes were forged from the soldiers' zenith of morale, ignited by the Saint Emperor's aura.
Lacking Taiwei Saint Emperor's frontline charge, the Holy Dynasty's warriors grappled ferociously this time.
The strength they'd regained vanished almost completely.
Only a scant one percent of crack troops endured.
In the end, victory came, but at a devastating, pyrrhic cost.
“Why hold back from the front lines this time, Taiwei Daoist? His standard approach would've eased this fight immensely.”
“The losses are devastating. All that built-up lead evaporated in an instant!”
As the Saints debated, the Opportunist piped up abruptly.
“Genius! Pure genius! Unless the Net evolves more, I'd say it's cracked wide open!”
The Saints froze in surprise and pressed for details.
The Opportunist elaborated with fervor, “Unlike standard cultivator clashes, survivors of such brutal wars are rare gems, elites among elites!”
“Faced with matched foes in dire straits, they burst forth with several times, even dozens of times the usual power. Taiwei Daoist's apparent rout is really a forge, sifting true gold from the grit!”
“And that's just after a handful of clashes. Imagine sustaining this over a hundred rounds.”
“Holding off ten, or even a hundred, becomes feasible!”
“Factor in Taiwei's personal charges at the van…”
“Without a rule overhaul from the Net, defeat looms for it!”