Shi Le's first reaction was nearly to laugh in anger.
The White Dragon Army Formation was Princess Xiao Yinghao's original creation, a third-grade military formation. In this entire world, only she could command it.
And this arrogant young man, who was he supposed to be?
Judging from his hands alone, he probably had never even wielded a weapon before. What gave him the courage to claim he could activate the White Dragon Army Formation?!
The Way of War had always been exclusive to true military talent.
Unlike the Way of Formations, the Way of War relied on people, deploying troops, commanding in battle, rallying morale, and forming the spirit of the army.
To form a formation through men meant the entire array was ever-changing, living and moving with every soldier's action.
Only someone capable of properly commanding every soldier could activate such a formation.
And this green youth looked nothing like someone qualified to even understand that, much less control it.
"What time do you think it is? Get back to your unit!"
Shi Le assumed the other was just some young cultivator separated from his unit, spouting nonsense.
He raised his voice in anger, but then dizziness struck his mind, and his body lost all strength, he was about to collapse again.
The sudden breaking of the Vajra Mantra, coupled with prolonged combat and the spiritual assault of a Divine Path cultivator, had left him severely backlashed!
Gu Fangchen stepped forward to support him without saying a word and immediately placed a token inscribed with the character "Yi" before his eyes.
"Shi Le, look carefully!"
As he forced blood from his palm to draw a simplified Stabilizing Spirit Array upon Shi Le's body, he spoke in a solemn tone:
"I am a former soldier of Yizhou, sent by Commander Ding himself to temporarily assume control of the White Dragon Army!"
He glanced at his palm, which had only just stopped bleeding earlier but was now dripping again, and sighed helplessly.
Looks like he'd have to scavenge more formation materials soon...
Otherwise, if he kept using his own blood for spellwork, a few more times like this and he'd be anemic.
Then again, his blood, marinated with three of the most infamous poisons known to the world, was indeed remarkably effective.
No manufactured medicine puppet could match Gu Fangchen's own body.
Shi Le froze in place as if struck by lightning. His entire body stiffened, disbelief written all over his face.
"Yizhou's old forces... Commander Ding... Commander Ding sent you?"
Gu Fangchen patted him on the back, activating the Stabilizing Spirit Array. Shi Le's mind instantly cleared, his spirit steadier.
He focused his gaze on the token in his hands, the same one he had seen countless times in his dreams. Holding it reverently, his hands trembled uncontrollably.
He could not be mistaken. There was no possibility of error!
This was Commander Ding's command token!
Every worn edge on it matched perfectly with the image etched in his memory. And the aura, there was no mistaking it. That was Commander Ding's presence.
After all these years, Shi Le had been waiting for this very moment.
Waiting for Commander Ding to gather his old forces once more, to raise the banner of "Yi" again.
The White Dragon Army was good, yes, but it was never home.
To Shi Le, the forces under the "Yi" banner were his only home, the only family an orphan like him had ever known.
Back then, countless brothers followed Commander Ding with burning passion, fighting battle after battle, all believing the same.
Shi Le's eyes grew hot with emotion. He held the token in both hands and asked solemnly, "How is Commander Ding now?"
He studied the young man before him, but blood and dust obscured his features, leaving his face unrecognizable.
This gave Shi Le pause. Though this man claimed to be a former soldier of the Martial Saint, he had no memory of him at all.
He looked far too young.
If his appearance reflected his true age, then there was no way he could have served under the Martial Saint.
The incident involving Ding Xingfeng had happened fifty years ago!
If this man were truly one of the old followers, his youthful appearance meant he must possess powerful methods of preservation, which implied he had already been highly cultivated back then.
But for such a young, powerful individual, Shi Le should have had some memory.
Still, the token could not be fake.
Who could possibly steal the command token from Martial Saint Ding Xingfeng?
Impossible!
Shi Le's reverence for Ding Xingfeng bordered on blind devotion. Even after all these years, not a trace of that faith had faded.
So, when Gu Fangchen revealed the token, despite his own doubts, he would never question Ding Xingfeng.
Gu Fangchen tucked the token away and said, "He's doing fine. Still the same old hobbies, fishing, gossiping. He's even taken a disciple. Seems he's about ready to return."
Then he said quietly, "General Shi, let's leave the small talk for later. We'll drive back the Qingman horde first, then discuss the rest."
Hearing that, Shi Le finally relaxed completely.
Anyone who knew of Commander Ding's love for gossip had to be one of their own!
As for whether the White Dragon Army Formation could really be activated... given how dire things were, a dead horse might as well be treated as a living one.
If they didn't act soon, the entire battle line would crumble.
Shi Le immediately nodded. "Alright!"
Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow. The loyalty of Ding Xingfeng's former soldiers truly impressed him, here he was, a mere seventh-grade cultivator claiming he could activate a third-grade military formation, and Shi Le didn't even question it once.
"Take me to the activation node of the mine's defensive formation first," Gu Fangchen said. "My cultivation isn't enough, I'll need to borrow the formation's power."
"You know formation arts too?"
Shi Le coughed twice, wiped the blood from his mouth, and gave a bitter smile.
"If I don't stay here, the army's morale will fall apart completely. I must remain to command. I'll have Cui Hu and Yin Cheng take you instead."
"They just returned from there. Formation Master Huadu died suddenly, it was likely premeditated assassination."
"Even if you can't activate the military formation, if you can get the mine's defense formation working, that will already be a great help."
Two soldiers immediately stepped forward and saluted Gu Fangchen.
Cui Hu and Yin Cheng?
Gu Fangchen's brow furrowed for a moment, then he nodded. "Fine. Take me there."
The two turned to lead the way.
But Gu Fangchen's eyes turned cold. His hands formed blades, fingertips turning pitch-black as he gathered all his poison to the edge.
Taking advantage of their lack of awareness, he struck, plunging his hands into both their backs.
The two men froze, eyes wide with shock, stammering, "You... you..."
Gu Fangchen withdrew his hands and watched them collapse, then knelt beside one body and pried a golden needle from between its fingers. He held it up toward Shi Le and shook it slightly.
"These two were the traitors."
"Formation Master Huadu was most likely killed by them amid the chaos."
Shi Le fell silent, his heart surging like a storm.
Those two had been his most trusted men, and they had set him up!
Gu Fangchen examined the golden needle and said, "A Tri-Evil Needle, crafted from the world's evil energies. Its purpose is to pierce your Vajra Mantra."
"Still, it'll serve nicely now."
He used the needle to draw formation marks upon the corpses, then clasped it between his fingers and began chanting.
The two freshly dead bodies suddenly stood up, their eyes pitch black, faces drained of all life, and knelt before him.
Gu Fangchen handed one the army banner and the other the command token. "Go. Ride around the camp once and shout that reinforcements have arrived."
The two corpses answered in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Shi Le: "..."
If not for the authenticity of the command token, he would have seriously doubted this man's identity.
These methods seemed even darker than those of the demonic cults!
Gu Fangchen turned back to him with a smile. "No need to be afraid, General Shi. This Corpse-Evil Method only works on the dead, not the living."
Shi Le: "..."
So in other words, as long as I don't die, I'm safe?
He took a deep breath. He had never seen this man before, yet the stranger seemed to know everything about the White Dragon Army.