A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6525

Morgana glanced at Jared, the corner of her mouth lifting.

This kid was getting more interesting by the minute.

Jared rose and walked to the map.

His gaze swept over the dense markings on it as calculations raced through his mind.

Two thousand against forty-five hundred. The enemy had more than twice their numbers.

But they were the defenders, and the terrain was on their side.

Beastmoor Ridge had nine layers of defensive formations, and the beastfolk warriors were already lying in wait inside Shrouded Wood. Holding the line was not impossible.

The real question was how to hold it.

"Your Majesty." Jared placed a finger on Shrouded Wood. "How long can this forest hold them back?"

Morgana thought for a moment before answering. "Two days at most. Venerable Starwick has the Veilbreaker Pearl, a relic left behind by the elder celestials. It was made specifically to counter mist-type formations. With their numbers on top of that, if they keep attacking in waves, Shrouded Wood’s defenses will be torn open within two days."

"Two days."

Jared repeated the words, then nodded.

"That’s enough. Our goal isn’t to keep them outside forever. No matter how strong the nine layers of defenses are, they won’t withstand repeated assaults from an army more than twice our size. Sooner or later, they’ll be worn down."

"What we need to do is drain as much of their strength as possible before the defenses fall, then wipe out Pole Star Hall’s main force on a battlefield of our choosing."

Cloudspire stroked his white beard, approval flashing in his eyes.

"Mr. Chance’s thinking matches mine. We defend to wear them down, and once they’re weakened, we counterattack. The question is, where should that battlefield be?"

Jared’s finger moved down the map before stopping at the open ground in front of Beastmoor Ridge’s main gate.

"Here."

"In front of the main gate?" The grand elder of Myriad Arts Order frowned. "That’s our final line of defense. If we fight the decisive battle there and lose, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"We won’t lose."

Jared’s voice was not loud, but it struck every person present like a nail driven into iron.

"Because Venerable Starwick will die there."

He paused briefly, then began laying out the plan.

"For the first to third defensive layers, defend only. Do not counterattack. Use the natural cover of Shrouded Wood to wear down their vanguard at the lowest possible cost."

"Beastfolk warriors are best at fighting in the forest. Have them hide among the trees. Strike only isolated squads. Once they succeed, they retreat immediately. No one is allowed to get greedy."

"For the fourth to sixth defensive layers, defend while falling back. Every layer we give up must cost them blood."

"Drive Beastmoor Ridge’s demon-beast packs to the front. Use them to disrupt Pole Star Hall’s formation."

"For the seventh to ninth defensive layers, hold at all costs. Those are the last three barriers before the main gate. Each one must be heavily guarded."

"Master Wellspring will lead the disciples of Wellspring Order to defend the seventh layer. Chief Preceptor Cloudspire will lead Azure Cloud Sword Order to defend the eighth. Myriad Arts Order will defend the ninth."

"The three layers will support one another. If any side comes under heavy pressure, the other two will send reinforcements immediately."

"Your Majesty."

Jared turned to Morgana.

"You will command from the main gate and oversee the entire battlefield. The beastfolk warriors will harass them from both flanks, cutting off their retreat and supply lines. Once Pole Star Hall’s main force is dragged into the battlefield in front of the gate, they’ll be fish trapped in a barrel."

Morgana nodded slightly.

"And what about you?"

"Me?"

A faint smile touched Jared’s lips.

"I’ll be waiting for Venerable Starwick in front of the main gate. If he wants to set foot in Beastmoor Ridge, he’ll have to step over my corpse first."

Night settled like ink.

The mountains of Beastmoor Ridge stood silent in the darkness, like a sleeping giant beast.

After the golden sun sank behind the western mountains, the silver and crimson moons rose one after another, casting their eerie light over Shrouded Wood.

Under the moonlight, the mist shimmered silver and red, like a boundless sea of blood.

From deep within the forest came the low, drawn-out roars of demon beasts. The sound echoed through the valleys and lingered for a long time.

The open ground before the main gate had already been cleared.

Across a plaza spanning several thousand yards, ancient runes had been carved into the earth.

Morgana had carved those runes herself.

Every stroke carried the bloodline power of the beastfolk.

On the cliffs to either side of the plaza, the sword adepts of Azure Cloud Sword Order had set up the Thousandfold Sword-Crown Array.

Thousands of flying swords hung in midair, their tips pointed outward. Cold light flashed from their blades, making them look like an upside-down river of stars.

Around the plaza, the formation masters of Myriad Arts Order had laid down eighteen overlapping defensive formations.

Venerable Starwick’s golden war chariot rolled out from before the encampment.

Eight armored sky-steeds galloped forward on holy radiance.

The entire war chariot had been forged from starfall metal, and every inch of it was engraved with celestial war sigils.

Venerable Starwick stood atop the chariot, his golden robe billowing in the wind.

In his hand was a golden spear three yards long. At its tip burned a blazing flame of holy radiance.

Behind him, three thousand Pole Star Hall cultivators stood in a strict battle formation.

Their holy radiance gathered into a vast golden sea of light, dyeing the entire horizon gold.

Their golden armor reflected the faint light before dawn.

From a distance, the army looked like a golden tide surging toward Beastmoor Ridge.

On the left, Venerable Glacier’s Glacier Chariot slowly emerged from another encampment.

The chariot was forged from age-old black ice.

Wherever it passed, frost formed in the air, and a thin layer of ice spread across the ground.

Five hundred Deepvault Cloister disciples followed behind him.

Each of them wore ice-blue robes, and the weapons in their hands gave off a bone-piercing chill.

On the right, Venerable Clarendon’s sacred dais rose from the third encampment.

The dais was hexagonal and powered by ninety-nine sunstones.

It hovered in midair, giving off a soft white glow.

Eight hundred Saintspire Court disciples stood in formation behind him, their ranks orderly and their expressions cold and calm.

The three armies converged on the plains north of Shrouded Wood.

Banners covered the sky. Spears, blades, and swords stood packed together like a forest of steel.

The pressure from forty-five hundred True Immortal cultivators merged into one, so dense it was almost visible to the naked eye.

With the army at its center, that pressure spread outward like a shock wave, sweeping away the loose stones and dust across the plain.

Startled birds burst from the forest.

But before they could spread their wings, that crushing killing intent ground them apart and turned them into clouds of blood mist.