above the galaxy

Chapter 650 Die, I'd rather never see my brother again!

Los Angeles, now without its protective shield, is like a hedgehog with its feathers plucked.

Under Kong Jianhan's command, the Fire Reborn Army launched a general offensive against Luo City.

The barbarian army took the lead, and under the command of Bogu, the barbarian deputy chieftain and Little Fatty's uncle, the strong warriors rode on iron-eating beasts armed to the teeth, and thundered towards the main gate of Luo City.

Even amidst a hail of bullets, nothing could stop their running.

They charged wildly, darting left and right, their spiked clubs raised high.

Its roar echoed through the heavens and earth, revealing a ferocious appearance as if it were about to devour anyone it could.

The soldiers inside the city were terrified before the battle even began.

"I heard they eat people?"

"They do eat people; they've eaten many of our brothers before."

"Why is Dushan called Ghost Mountain? It's because the inhabitants are neither human nor ghost."

"Dushan is called Ghost Mountain because people who go there all become ghosts. As more and more people died, it became known as Ghost Mountain."

"The Dushan Army is no longer our brother; they have joined the bandits. They are now in cahoots and are doing the same thing."
-
Discussions arose one after another and spread rapidly, affecting the morale of the troops to some extent.

The inspection team executed dozens of people before finally silencing the surface-level noise.

But most soldiers can tell what each other is thinking just by looking at each other.
Gongshu Xuesong led the First Division to provide artillery support behind the barbarian troops. Once the barbarian troops tore open a gap, they were able to rush in and seize control of the city.

Everyone knows that the main gate is the hardest to breach.

It will also be the most brutal battle.

Therefore, Gongshu Xuesong still got the 'main attack' task he wanted.

The Second Division, led by Division Commander Ji Fengxing, attacked the left gate, while the Third Division, led by Division Commander Xiang Canglan, attacked the right gate.

Kong Yinghan was stationed on the mothership, remotely commanding operations.

Shen An'nan, as expected of a high-ranking general who had climbed his way up from the bottom, immediately began to mobilize his troops after the brief panic following the withdrawal of the defensive shield. He used the fortified city as a base and divided his army into four routes, engaging the Fire Army in a back-and-forth battle.

The fighting was intense and protracted.

Neither side can defeat the other in the short term.

"Surrounding three sides while leaving one open is Sun Tzu's Art of War, but it also provides the enemy with a continuous stream of reinforcements." Staff Officer Chen Shangxin looked at the battle map and suggested, "Should we send another large army to launch a feint attack at the rear gate to draw away some of the enemy's main force?"

The concept of "encircling three sides while leaving one open" first appeared in Sun Tzu's "The Art of War: Military Maneuvering," where it states that "when besieging an army, one must leave a gap."

This tactic, through a three-sided encirclement and a feigned escape route, undermines the enemy's will to fight to the death, luring them to move towards a pre-set gap, and then annihilates them in motion.

The Fire Army dispatched three armies to attack the main gate, left gate, and right gate, but left the back gate unattended.

Behind Los Angeles lies the heartland of the empire. When the war becomes intense, the Qishan Group can both reinforce its troops and provide massive supplies.

This is also why the young military staff officer Chen Shangxin raised questions.

Chief of the General Staff Xun Pu had a high opinion of this young staff officer from Yu Yuhuo's army and replied, "Surrounding three sides while leaving one open has its drawbacks, but it also has its advantages. If the advantages outweigh the drawbacks, then we can use it."

"We will attack from three directions, leaving only one gate undefended. The 600,000 troops inside the pool will then not feel like they are at their wits' end and will fight to the death for it."

"In this way, as long as they have one more option, one hopeful option, they will be tempted to back down and will not fight as hard as they would."

"If their counterattack is less forceful, our losses will be smaller. Otherwise, how many men would we have to commit to wear down that army of 600,000, including over 100,000 elite Undying soldiers?"

"Would sending the entire Fireborn Army be enough? Or rather, would sending the entire rebel army be enough?"

"Even if we eventually capture Los Angeles and win the final victory, annihilating their 600,000-strong army, we'll still be crippled. Will we still have the capacity for an eastern expedition?"

"At that time, Shen Wuxiang suddenly launched a massive army attack. How should we stop him?"

"Thank you for your clarification, Chief of Staff. I understand now," Chen Shangxin said respectfully, straightening his back and giving a military salute.

"No, you don't understand yet. You only see the first layer, but you can't see the second layer."

"???"

Chen Shangxin looked astonished.

There's a second layer? Am I mentally challenged?
"Just as you said, if the situation in Luocheng becomes critical, Shen Anan will ask the Qishan Group for help. They will either provide supplies or increase the number of troops."

"As a result, domestic prices will naturally skyrocket, society will be in turmoil, and the people will suffer. They will face both external threats and internal troubles. The empire will become a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment. What if we set it on fire at this time?"

"."

Chen Shangxin.

I only see a 'point', while you see a 'surface'?
What I see is the battlefield before me; have you already seen the enormous crisis within our own country?
The chief of staff truly lives up to his title.

Chen Shangxin was filled with admiration and was about to raise his hand in salute again when he heard Xun Pu say, "This is the second level. There is a third level."

"???"

besides?

"If Shen Wuxiang wants to mobilize troops to support Luocheng, where will he draw them from? If he doesn't forcibly conscript soldiers, he can only pull people from the existing active-duty army. He can't just conjure up veteran soldiers out of thin air, can he?"

"The Federation is holding us back on the southern front, and the Ottoman Empire is eyeing us covetously on the western front. The border troops cannot move."

"Then we can only draw troops from the domestic army. The answer is obvious: drawing too few is pointless. Drawing too many will make it impossible to form a four-sided encirclement of Zhaoling and the wasteland."

“Once the Tianlang soldiers of Zhaoling and the Lu family soldiers of the wasteland are freed up, the outcome of this war will be truly uncertain.” Chen Shangxin.

Okay, I get it, I really am an idiot.

Seeing Chen Shangxin's pale face, Xun Pu stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him, "War is never just about one city or one place. It's about the economy, technology, and people's hearts."

"Most importantly, the right timing, the right location, and the right people are all indispensable."

"Yes. I understand."

"The young man is quite good; his willingness to think is a good thing."

"Thank you, Chief of Staff."
-
Little Fatty felt like he was about to explode.

His expression was ferocious, his features were distorted, and his blood was surging.

The more desperately one resists, the more suffocating the powerful pressure becomes.

It seemed he wasn't fighting against people, but against God, against the might of Heaven.
Because he used too much force, half of his body was 'planted' in the mud.

He has been breaking rocks since he was a child, for more than ten years, and he has always given people the feeling of being 'incredibly strong'.

However, when he encountered the true 'Tao', he realized how insignificant he was.

Yes, he was currently in Shen Xinglan's dojo.

He had heard his brother talk about this scene before, and he had also consulted the Grandmaster Xuanyuan Mingjing.

They waved their sleeves, and the torrential rain seemed to stop in mid-air.
It can be called a miracle.

"why?"

"why?"

"Why?"

Little Fatty's heart was filled with despair and resentment.

For myself, and even more so for my brother.

A Grand Master is someone who has attained the Dao.

Zhuangzi believed that nature and humanity are one, and that there is no difference between life and death. One should purify the mind and quiet the spirit, detach from form and intellect, forget about life and death, and follow the natural order. This is called "the Way".

Only those who attain enlightenment can be considered great masters.

A grandmaster, on the other hand, can merge with nature.

More importantly, they can use the power of nature.

"Shen Xinglan, what makes him so special?"

"What qualifications does he have to attain enlightenment?"

"My elder brother hasn't even attained enlightenment, how dare he claim it?"
-
hammer!

The chubby boy gripped the skull hammer tightly.

He wanted to smash it out and give him a good whack with the hammer.

To kill, to injure, or even just to scratch him.
This is also something he wanted to do for his brother.

However, my arm felt incredibly heavy, as if I were in a gravitational field a thousand times stronger than normal.

I can't move, I can't move at all.

Just then, a powerful and majestic sword aura struck.

Even heaven and earth paled in comparison.

Red flowers, green grass, crimson grapes, yellow bees, and colorful butterflies.
Everything turned a dull gray.

Little Fatty's face and body were bleeding, no, spurting blood.

Nose, eyes, ears, every pore on the skin.
It was like turning on countless water taps, with blood spurting out in a sizzling motion.

This was caused by his body being unable to withstand the immense pressure.

The internal organs have shifted, and some have even become deformed or damaged due to intense pressure.
Until it exploded along with its body.

Little Fatty's consciousness began to blur, and his eyes were unable to open due to the blood.

He could feel that the sword intent seemed to come from a distant place and was about to reach the top of his head.

He knew he was about to die.

Death means never seeing my brother again.
"elder brother"

The chubby boy's face was flushed with regret as he murmured to himself, "In the next life, I still want to be your younger brother."

boom!
The sword energy struck, cleaving heaven and earth.

"The Sword Seal of the Great Sun Tathagata"!
The Great Sun Tathagata Sword Seal that Shen Xinglan created after becoming a Grandmaster.

Suddenly, the skull hammer that Little Fatty had been holding in his hand, the skull hammer that was desperately sucking Little Fatty's blood, suddenly shone brightly red.

It was as if it had suddenly gained its own consciousness, breaking free and actively heading towards the sword energy.

(End of this chapter)