High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

"This means the Feathered People commander has likely given an order: if you encounter Martial Artist Xu, prioritize your own life. Don’t fight him head-on," Lu Wenquan said.

"They’re sacrificing their ordinary warriors to gather intelligence and combat data on Martial Artist Xu. Once they’ve collected enough data and adjusted their tactics, the next attack... will likely be a devastating blow."

The conference room fell silent.

The morning light outside the window grew brighter, and the surface of the sea began to shimmer.

In the distance, a few patrol boats were heading out from the base’s dock, beginning their new day of routine patrols.

The peaceful scene stood in stark contrast to the grim atmosphere inside the conference room.

"So this ’opening’ at Broken Star Castle is most likely a bait," Xu Wuyi said slowly. "They want to lure me in, then use prepared tactics to surround and kill me."

"There’s a ninety percent chance." Han Mo didn’t deny it. "But as General Commander Yang said, it’s up to us whether we take the bait. Besides... this could also be our opportunity."

He displayed a strategic map of the entire Tianshui Star Realm.

"The Feathered People have pulled back their defensive lines completely, concentrating their forces in five main fortresses. If we don’t take the initiative, the front line will solidify, and the advantage we’ve built up will gradually erode. So we have to strike, and we have to make it hurt."

Han Mo’s finger landed on the location of Broken Star Castle. "Broken Star Castle is the closest to us, and its defenses are relatively weak. If we can score a decisive victory here, perhaps even crushing the ambush the Feathered People have set up, the morale in the other four fortresses will be affected."

"Besides, it’s also a test," Lu Wenquan added. "A test of what kind of ’surprise’ the Feathered People have prepared. We’re in the open while they’re in the shadows. It’s better than waiting for them to finish their preparations and launch a sudden, all-out counteroffensive."

Xu Wuyi understood.

This was a chess game where both sides were gambling.

The Feathered People had laid a trap, hoping to lure him in and kill him with a pre-planned ambush.

Humanity was playing along, using him as bait to probe the Feathered People’s trump cards while searching for an opportunity to turn the tables.

The key was who was better prepared and who held more trump cards.

"What’s my mission?" Xu Wuyi asked directly.

"Two things." Han Mo held up two fingers. "First, clear the field. If the Feathered People have a large number of troops lying in ambush on the perimeter, your job is to eliminate as many of them as you can in the shortest time possible."

"Second, self-preservation. If you sense something is wrong, do not hesitate. Retreat immediately. Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan will provide cover, and I’ll coordinate and provide support."

"What’s the threshold for withdrawal?" Xu Wuyi needed clear criteria.

"Three triggers. You withdraw if any one of them is met." Han Mo pulled up a new interface. "First, if the number of Feathered People Second King-level experts exceeds six. Second, if they use new tactics or equipment we can’t comprehend. Third, if your Power of Heart Image is more than halfway depleted."

He looked at Xu Wuyi. "Especially the third point. You’re the core of this entire strategy, but you’re also the Feathered People’s number one target. The moment your performance falters, their encirclement will become even more vicious. So, don’t try to be a hero. When it’s time to pull back, pull back."

Xu Wuyi nodded.

He knew that much.

In that battle at the Quicksand Star Realm, he would have already pulled back at the end if the Wind Shadow Hunter squad hadn’t arrived so quickly.

Until you actually engage, you never know just how strong the enemy is.

A Martial Artist can be fearless in the face of death, but they can’t throw their life away for nothing.

"Zhao Qingwei, Chu Shanhe, your mission is also very important." Han Mo looked at the two of them.

"The assault squadron will split into four teams and feign attacks on Broken Star Castle’s outer fortifications from different directions. You two will each lead one team. Remember, it’s just a feint. Create chaos, draw their attention, but do not advance too far. The moment the primary team engages, fall back immediately to a safe distance and be ready to provide backup."

"Understood," Zhao Qingwei replied curtly.

"Yes, sir." Chu Shanhe nodded.

"Tie Zhan, Lu Wenquan." Han Mo finally looked toward the two Quasi-Grandmasters. "Same plan as always. Tie Zhan, you’ll lead the frontal assault to apply pressure. Lu Wenquan, you’ll set up perimeters and defenses to ensure Xu Wuyi isn’t disturbed. I’ll watch the entire battlefield and fill in wherever needed."

"Don’t worry." Tie Zhan slapped his warhammer. "With this hammer of mine, if the Feathered People want to get close to Xu Wuyi, they’ll have to get through me first."

Lu Wenquan, for his part, adjusted his glasses. "I’ve optimized the parameters for the interference field. It can delay the propagation of Energy Fluctuations by four to five minutes. Additionally, I’ve prepared twelve ’spatial anchors.’ If things get critical, I can use them to temporarily generate spatial distortions, buying us time to withdraw."

Han Mo nodded in satisfaction and finally looked to Xu Wuyi. "Any other questions?"

Xu Wuyi was silent for a moment.

He had many questions, but most had no answers.

’What exactly have the Feathered People prepared? How many Second Kings will there be? Will some higher-level power intervene from the shadows? These were all unknowns.’

But that’s how war was. There was never a one-hundred-percent guarantee.

"I have an idea," Xu Wuyi said suddenly.

"Go on."

"If the Feathered People are truly researching ways to counter the flame of my Heart Image, they’ll definitely be focused on defending against the Flame True Seal," Xu Wuyi said slowly. "But they shouldn’t know much about the Profound Nether Celestial Spear."

Han Mo’s eyes lit up. "You’re saying..."

"Gravity Manipulation," Xu Wuyi confirmed with a nod. "In the battle at the Quicksand Star Realm, I used pure Flame to clear the field. During the three assaults at Tianshui, I also primarily used Flame. I’ve used the Profound Nether Celestial Spear, but only for support, never as my main method of attack."

He paused. "The data the Feathered People have collected must be focused on my Flame abilities. Their knowledge of my Gravity Manipulation is limited."

Lu Wenquan quickly pulled up some data on his tablet. After analyzing it, he nodded. "That makes sense. In the last three battles, Martial Artist Xu’s use of Gravity Manipulation was indeed infrequent, and always on a small scale. If the Feathered People based their strategy on that data, they would likely underestimate the power of his Gravity Field."

"So this time, you can change your tactics," Han Mo said thoughtfully. "First, use the Gravity Field to sow chaos and restrict the Feathered People’s movement, then use Flame to clear the field. Or... combine the two."

"I’ve had some new ideas recently about combining Gravity and Flame," Xu Wuyi said. "It’s still in the experimental stage, but I should be able to test it in actual combat."

"Excellent." Han Mo made the final decision. "Then it’s settled. The overall strategy remains the same, but you can adjust your specific methods of attack flexibly based on the situation on the battlefield. Remember, your safety is the top priority. But if you get the chance... show them what a true strategic-level power looks like."

The meeting continued for another half hour, hammering out all the final details.

The assault squadron’s formation, withdrawal routes, emergency communication frequencies, backup rally points... every single detail was gone over again and again.

Lu Wenquan even ran simulations for seven potential contingencies and formulated a corresponding response plan for each.

By the time everything was confirmed, the sun had fully risen outside the window.

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