After flying a long distance, Meng Zhang and Book MountainTrue Monarch spoke almost simultaneously.
"You noticed it, right?"
They exchanged a smile, understanding each other's meaning.
Instead of moving forward, they temporarily stopped and hovered in the air, waiting.
After a while, Extreme Sword Spirit General and Shocking ThunderSpirit General flew over from the side to join them.
"I originally thought there was only one Barbarian King in this Barbarian Clan army. It seems that the Barbarian Clan has learned to conceal their strength," Meng Zhang sighed.
Book MountainTrue Monarch agreed, "However, judging from this person's aura, he is undoubtedly the Barbarian King of the Barbarian Clan. Yet, he is not as impulsive and aggressive as typical Barbarian Kings; instead, he knows how to hide and wait for the right moment."
"It is said that among the extraterritorial Barbarian Clans, there are assassins who excel in stealth and assassination techniques."
"If I'm not mistaken, this Barbarian King should be one of those assassin-type experts."
Book MountainTrue Monarch was knowledgeable, and the Dark Alliance had access to plenty of information and intelligence, including deep insights into the extraterritorial Barbarian Clans. His judgment was likely accurate. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝕟𝕖𝕥
Barbarian King Shali Eagle thought he had concealed himself well, but unexpectedly, he couldn't hide from the keen senses of Meng Zhang and Book MountainTrue Monarch.
Knowing that there was a hidden Barbarian King, Meng Zhang started feeling troubled.
He had assumed that the main force of the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan should be engaged by Jade Sword Sect's Fei GuoTrue Monarch.
In the invading extraterritorial Barbarian Clan army in the Endless Sea of Sand, there should be at most 1-2 Fourth Rank experts. However, with the addition of True Monarch Grey Mountain, the enemy had exactly one more Fourth Rank expert than his side.
True Monarch Grey Mountain was a cultivator in the mid Primordial Spirit realm and possessed the Fourth Rank magic tool, the Grey Mountain Seal. At best, Meng Zhang could only barely keep up with him.
Book MountainTrue Monarch could handle one Barbarian King.
The hidden assassin-type Barbarian King, skilled in assassination from the shadows, was the most significant threat. He could exploit vulnerabilities and launch surprise attacks on Meng Zhang and Book MountainTrue Monarch, potentially killing them.
With no advantage in top-tier combat power, from Meng Zhang's observation, the strength of the Barbarian Clan army seemed to be on par with the cultivator army of Taiyi Sect, if not slightly stronger. In a head-on battle in the wilderness, the outcome would be unpredictable.
Meng Zhang even pondered deeper.
Was the slow marching speed of the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan intended to lure the enemy into attacking them actively?
With Barbarian King Tuller Bear and True Monarch Grey Mountain in the open, there was also a hidden assassin-type Barbarian King.
If Meng Zhang wasn't vigilant enough, there might be a real danger of falling.
Frankly speaking, if Book MountainTrue Monarch hadn't come to reinforce them due to their friendly relationship, the power gap between the two sides would have been even greater, and Meng Zhang wouldn't stand a chance against the enemy.
To secure a higher chance of victory, Taiyi Sect needed an additional Primordial Spirit-level expert's assistance. However, it was impossible for Jade Sword Sect to send another Primordial Spirit True Monarch for reinforcement.
The only available option within Meng Zhang's personal connections was the current Book MountainTrue Monarch.
Red Pig True Monarch and others were currently helping Jade Sword Sect resist the North Sweeping Grand Army of the Dali Dynasty.
Meng Zhang used to be able to summon a clone of Ghost Deity Shou Zheng. However, during the last battle with True Monarch Wen Dong, he lost one of Shou Zheng's clones, and it seemed that Shou Zheng was angry.Afterwards, Meng Zhang tried to establish altars twice in an attempt to contact Shou Zheng, but received no response. Shou Zheng was unwilling even to acknowledge Meng Zhang's communication, let alone allowing the summoning of his clone.
With insufficient strength, Taiyi Sect faced the difficult task of blocking the advance of the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's massive army. Meng Zhang now understood their strength to some extent after this trial.
As the Sect Master of Taiyi Sect, he was not willing to engage in a frontal battle with the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's army without sufficient confidence. If the battle failed, he might not be in immediate danger, but Taiyi Sect would suffer severe losses. Seeing Meng Zhang's dilemma, Book MountainTrue Monarch offered a reminder.
"Perhaps this extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's army is genuinely trying to lure us into attacking. Their slow pace suggests they have a plan," Book MountainTrue Monarch added.
After contemplating for a while, Meng Zhang made two decisions. First, he ordered Deep EarthSpirit General to temporarily stop mobilizing the cultivator army, keeping them stationed in Yellow Sand Ridge. The current situation didn't call for a head-on battle with the Barbarian Clan's army.
Secondly, he instructed Deep EarthSpirit General to dispatch an elite team of cultivators on a flying vessel to reach the front of the Barbarian Clan's army. They were to evacuate all the outposts along their route, ensuring the immediate relocation of all human-inhabited oases.
This approach would buy them some time. The vastness of the Endless Sea of Sand meant that the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's army couldn't advance swiftly. This provided Meng Zhang with sufficient time to devise a counter-strategy before they swept across the entire area.
Back at Yellow Sand Ridge, Meng Zhang convened the Taiyi Sect elders to discuss possible ways to bridge the gap in their strengths. After extensive deliberation, they concluded that without external assistance, it would be challenging to overcome the difference in power. Blocking the extraterritorial Barbarian Clan's army would require taking a significant risk.
Book MountainTrue Monarch came as an external ally to support them, and Meng Zhang had no reason to force him to risk his life for Taiyi Sect. He needed to find a solution to the disparity in top-tier combat power on his own.
Regarding the cultivator army, Taiyi Sect did not have the advantage compared to the Barbarian Clan's army. However, several Guardian Spirit Generals had experience in large-scale battles and offered two suggestions.
The first was to continue drawing cultivators from Taiyi Sect's main gate as reinforcement. They believed there was still considerable potential to tap into among the disciples at the main gate.
The second suggestion was to enhance the power of their great formation. Taiyi Sect's cultivator army had always practiced various formations, and even the cultivators from the Hanhai Alliance underwent regular drills. Deep EarthSpirit General and Wen Qiansun assured Meng Zhang that with sufficient investment, they could quickly enhance the great formation's power.
After considering the situation, Meng Zhang realized that unless he was willing to completely abandon the Endless Sea of Sand, he couldn't avoid a direct confrontation with the Barbarian Clan's army. The current situation was challenging, but it had not reached the point where he would abandon all their territories and flee to Maple Leaf Mountain City.
Maple Leaf Mountain City was their last retreat, and Meng Zhang would only choose to flee there as a last resort. As long as they had the strength to fight, he was willing to take the risk.
Meng Zhang agreed to the suggestions of the Guardian Spirit Generals and ordered them to act immediately.