Peach Blossom Mountain Liu Jiaxiu's Biography

Chapter 1452 Attack on Matsuba Island

After accepting Jin Haonan's request to send troops, Liu Changxu began preparations for the expedition. Since this was only to assist in the battle, he did not intend to mobilize too many people. Therefore, when recruiting cultivators from his clan to participate in the battle, he specifically stated that it was entirely voluntary and that no one would be forced to participate.

To his surprise, the news sparked an unusually high level of enthusiasm among his people. Many volunteered to fight the Matsuba Crab Clan, and long queues formed at the registration desk several days in advance.

In just ten days, more than 10,000 clansmen at the Golden Core stage and above signed up to participate in the expedition to Pine Leaf Island.

Not only were the clansmen enthusiastic about participating in the war, but Liu Changxu's wife and children all expressed their desire to follow him into battle, and none of them wanted to stay on Jinhuan Island.

Having no other option, Liu Changxu resorted to the crude method of drawing lots to decide who would stay on Golden Ring Island.

Through a lottery, it was ultimately decided that Wu Xuege, Zhao Qier, Murong Yuyao, Yang Yuxuan, Chen Yufei, Xiao Ningxue, Dongxue, Zhao Qingxia, Su Jinxiu, and Huang Xuefei would stay behind to guard Jin Huan Island, while the others would go on the expedition with him.

On the morning of March 17th, 988 of the Great Han Dynasty, more than 10,000 cultivators who had signed up to join the expeditionary force stood in neat rows on a wide square at the foot of Peach Blossom Mountain on Golden Ring Island.

With Liu Changxu's order, the more than 10,000 Liu family cultivators who participated in the expeditionary force entered the inner space of the "Ruyi Sky Patrol Ship" in an orderly manner, led by Duan Yuwei and others.

After all the participating cultivators entered the Ruyi Sky Patrol Ship, the enormous vessel flashed with light and transformed into a barely perceptible stream of light, entering Liu Changxu's dantian.

Then, Liu Changxu waved goodbye to Wu Xuege and the other women who stayed behind on Golden Ring Island, and transformed into a streak of light, flying into the teleportation hall of Golden Ring Island.

As soon as he stood on the ultra-long-distance teleportation platform, the previously calm runes on the platform lit up, weaving into a dazzling net of light that enveloped his figure. With a slight spatial fluctuation, Liu Changxu's figure vanished from his original spot, teleporting towards the Heavenly Pool Holy Land according to the preset coordinates.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Changxu appeared in the teleportation hall of the Heavenly Pool Holy Land.

Upon learning that Liu Changxu had arrived, Emperor Jin Haonan of Tianchi and others immediately invited him to the council hall, where they discussed the attack on Songye Island.

At the meeting, Jin Haonan first explained to Liu Changxu in detail the information that Tianchi Holy Land had gathered about the Pine Leaf Crab Clan of Pine Leaf Island.

The Pine Leaf Island, where the Pine Leaf Crab Clan resides, is not actually very large, covering only a few hundred thousand miles in circumference. However, the island is almost entirely covered by lush pine forests. The ancient, vigorous pines block out the sky, and the forest is permeated with poisonous miasma year-round. Ordinary cultivators who rashly enter are not only very likely to be poisoned and perish, but also easily lose their way.

Interestingly, the Matsuba crabs, as the true masters of Matsuba Island, do not nest on the island. Instead, they prefer to hide in the underground caves that connect Matsuba Island to the seabed. These caves are crisscrossed, spreading like a spider web deep within the seabed rock layers, with underground rivers and caverns connected, creating an extremely complex environment.

What's even more troublesome is that the two ninth-tier crab kings of the Matsuba crab clan reside in the deepest secret space of the underground cave, which is inaccessible by ordinary investigation methods. Locating their traces accurately is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

It is precisely because of the reclusive nature of the snow crabs that they are so difficult to deal with. Tianchi Holy Land has repeatedly organized large armies to suppress them in the past, but they have often been put on the defensive in the face of the intricate underground caves.

When the powerful members of the Pine Leaf Crab Clan face a disadvantage in battle, they flee into their lair. If the Holy Land cultivators' expeditionary army pursues them, they often suffer heavy losses due to their unfamiliarity with the terrain, leading to an ambush by the crab clan's powerful members and forcing them to retreat in frustration. "...Therefore, the biggest challenge in this operation is how to find the hiding place of those two Crab Kings and force them out!"

Finally, Jin Haonan said helplessly:

Upon hearing Jin Haonan's introduction, Liu Changxu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:

"Since the Pine Leaf Crab Clan prefers to hide in the underground caves beneath Pine Leaf Island, why don't we destroy Pine Leaf Island first, completely changing its environment so that it's no longer suitable for low-ranking crabs to survive? At that time, in order to protect Pine Leaf Island, those two Crab Kings will surely be unable to restrain themselves and will take the initiative to confront us."

These words startled everyone in the hall. A flicker of surprise crossed Jin Haonan's eyes, then he stroked his beard and pondered, saying:

"Destroy the island? That's a direct method... but Pine Leaf Island, while not extremely large, is still hundreds of thousands of miles in circumference. Destroying it won't be easy. Moreover, there's a low-grade ninth-order spiritual vein on the island, as well as the ninth-order spiritual treasures we need. It would be a real pity to destroy it!"

Zhang Wenping, the White Tiger Saint Emperor, took over the conversation and said:
"Matsuha Island was originally the territory of the Matsuba Crab Clan. Destroying the island would not only force out the Matsuba Crab King, but also cut off their foundation for a future comeback. In the long run, it might not be a bad solution."

Emperor Gao Sheng of Baishan said with concern:
"Forcibly destroying the island could trigger a super tsunami, which could then affect the surrounding waters and even cause huge turmoil, resulting in unpredictable and serious consequences."

Liu Changxu looked at everyone and said:

"We can first set up a super array to seal off the entire Pine Leaf Island and the surrounding sea area, and then bombard the island's center with heavy weapons. This will destroy the outer perimeter of the crab clan's lair and control the area of ​​turmoil. When the Crab King sees his home destroyed, he will surely be enraged and attack, which will suit our desire for a quick victory."

Jin Haonan stared at the nautical chart, his finger heavily tapping the center of Songye Island, a resolute glint in his eyes:

“Junior Brother’s method is risky, but it hits the nail on the head! Rather than being passively dealt with in the cave, we should take the initiative to force them out! Let’s proceed with this plan, first set up a large formation, then destroy the island to force the enemy out!”

Seeing that the Emperor had made the decision, everyone in the hall voiced their agreement.

Next, the group discussed the details of the battle plan.

However, setting up a massive array outside Matsuba Island, destroying and securing the entire island, ultimately forcing out and killing the two Matsuba Crab Kings, all without damaging the surrounding environment, is no easy task. It requires careful consideration of the balance of power between the enemy and ourselves, as well as the surrounding environment, to increase the chances of victory, hence the particularly heated discussion.

Due to the extreme difficulty, despite everyone's best efforts, no perfect solution was found, and only a barely feasible plan was devised.

On the morning of the tenth day, the million-strong expeditionary force from Tianchi Holy Land, led by Tianchi Holy Emperor Jin Haonan and White Tiger Holy Emperor Zhang Wenhao, officially set off on two ninth-tier flying boats.

Liu Changxu also piloted the Ruyi Sky Patrol Ship, a low-grade ninth-order innate flying spiritual treasure, and set off together.