Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

Cui Ming can use shadow spiders, disguised puppets, and other pre-distributed elements to form a detection system that monitors the battlefield.

Cui Ming laid out his entire plan.

He will use this detection system to obtain information such as the movement and size of the Japanese troops detected by the puppet.

It is synchronized in real time to the armor of all Eastern aliens wearing exoskeleton armor who are active in the war zone.

This is equivalent to opening the entire map to all friendly combat personnel.

Soon, Cui Ming's plan began to be implemented.

The Japanese launched a second probing attack, involving about two hundred men.

Among them were more than 30 supernatural beings, carrying grenade launchers and two heavy machine guns, who advanced in three groups towards the original entrance area of ​​the Earth Vein Village and the surrounding mountains and forests.

Their orders were to "reconnoiter the enemy, seize opportunities to harass them, and find possible infiltration routes."

However, they had barely entered the mountains when their movements were detected by the ubiquitous shadow spiders and disguised golems masquerading as rocks and trees.

After being processed by Cui Ming, the information was quickly transmitted to every alien wearing exoskeleton armor in the vicinity.

Almost simultaneously, the Eastern Kingdom's aliens scattered in the nearby area had small crystal plates on the sides of their exoskeleton helmets glow faintly, displaying simplified enemy situation diagrams.

Red dots represent enemy troops, numbers indicate approximate numbers and weapon markings, and arrows indicate the direction of advance.

They even roughly estimated the number of enemy superhumans based on the intensity of their Qi.

"Northwest direction, a mountain path, about sixty people, mostly lightly armed, five to seven extraordinary individuals, about three miles away."

"To the due west, in an open area in the forest, there are about eighty people, with one heavy machine gun, and about ten strange people, about four miles away."

“To the southwest, going upstream along the stream, there are about sixty people, with grenade launchers, and about eight strange people, about three and a half miles away.”

The leaders of each group quickly made a judgment and, through a brief consultation via the short-range communication built into their armor, immediately assigned tasks.

Instead of forming a large force, they continued to maintain a dispersed group model, like a pack of wolves that have smelled blood, quietly converging from different directions toward their chosen targets.

Chapter 178 A Secret Maneuver

The battle broke out almost without the Japanese soldiers' knowledge.

Northwest Valley. A mixed group of five Hengshan Sect disciples and three Cangyan Sect swordsmen had already occupied the high ground on both sides of the mountain slope.

After receiving the information, they patiently waited for the Japanese vanguard to fully enter the ambush zone in the valley.

When the enemy's main force stepped into the pre-set tripwire trigger zone, countless boulders suddenly rolled down from the cliffs on both sides, while poisoned crossbow bolts and flying stones rained down like raindrops.

The Japanese soldiers below were caught off guard, and their formation was thrown into chaos.

Immediately afterwards, eight figures rushed down the hillside. The explosive power provided by their exoskeletons made them as fast as cheetahs. Their weapons reflected the cold light in the sunlight as they instantly cut into the chaotic enemy formation.

The disciples from both factions, already skilled in combined attacks, combined with the enhanced strength and coordination from their exoskeletons, to work together with even greater precision, swiftly defeating the Japanese squad in just fifteen minutes.

An open area in the woods to the west.

The terrain here was relatively unfavorable for ambushes, but a group consisting of four martial arts masters and two former bodyguards took advantage of their information superiority and set up multiple simple Qimen formations combined with gunpowder traps on the Japanese army's inevitable route.

As the Japanese soldiers cautiously advanced, the ground suddenly collapsed, flames erupted from underground, and at the same time, a strange thick fog spread, interfering with visibility and perception.

With the aid of exoskeletons, the sorcerers were able to maintain the array's output from a greater distance and a safer position, while the bodyguards used modified crossbows to precisely kill any supernatural beings attempting to break out of the array.

Before the heavy machine gun could even be set up, its crew was taken out by spikes that emerged from the ground and ice spikes that fell from the sky.

The battle was more like a one-sided hunt.

Southwest stream direction.

The Japanese soldiers here are the most vigilant, moving slowly, and the proportion of non-humans is also the highest.

However, their every move is still clearly visible on the "map".

The team responsible for intercepting them consisted of two groups of six people each, composed of members from different minor sects and independent cultivators. Knowing that a direct confrontation might not be advantageous, they made full use of the terrain and information gaps to constantly harass and divide the area.

They disrupted the stream upstream, creating small-scale flash floods to disrupt the enemy's formation;

Use poison smoke and noise decoys to lure some of the enemy away;

Concentrate your forces to ambush any lone individuals.

The mobility provided by the exoskeleton allows them to hit and run, never engaging in prolonged fights.

The Japanese troops were exhausted and unable to organize an effective offensive formation. In the end, they were forced to retreat along the same route due to repeated small-scale losses and low morale.

The three-pronged attack was easily thwarted by the Eastern Kingdom's foreign forces, whose numbers were not superior and were even more dispersed, within half a day.

The superhumans equipped with exoskeletons not only suffered very few casualties, but also achieved considerable success.

They personally experienced the enormous advantages brought about by transparent intelligence and coordinated operations, and developed a deeper trust in the seemingly simple armor they wore.

It was originally thought that two consecutive failures would make the Japanese lose their desire to attack the leyline village.

Surprisingly, this fighting continued until August 1939.

Over the past year, the Japanese obsession with the village of Dimai in southern Hunan has not diminished; on the contrary, it has become more obsessive due to repeated setbacks.

They continuously diverted small, elite units of superhumans from the main battlefield in an attempt to locate the location of the Leyline Village.

This sustained pressure, however, failed to break the defenses of Dimai Village and Qinghe Town.

However, they successfully kept the attention and manpower of a large number of foreigners from the Eastern Kingdom firmly tied down in this area, including the local area of ​​southern Hunan and the surrounding region.

This undoubtedly created a brief opening for the Japanese troops on other fronts.

In early 1939, the Japanese launched several premeditated surprise attacks in certain areas of North and Central China, and at one point achieved some local breakthroughs.

However, the people and soldiers of the East were determined to resist.

In addition, the defensive forces in other areas quickly adjusted and reinforced themselves after the initial chaos, and these offensives were soon contained and repelled, and the battle lines fell into a stalemate again.

Although the "nail" in southern Hunan attracted some firepower, it also acted like a hard whetstone, constantly consuming the already stretched manpower and logistical resources of the Japanese army.

In the special battlefield of Xiangnan, it is the perfect time for the Divine Machine Alliance to demonstrate its strength.

Those extraordinary individuals from various sects who were among the first to respond to the call of the Divine Machine Alliance and come to lend their support fully appreciated the value of the "basic exoskeleton armor" during the nearly year-long skirmish.

Calling it a divine weapon is no exaggeration, as it not only genuinely enhances an individual's survival skills and mobility.

It also provides the extraordinary people of the Eastern Kingdom with a brand-new combat mode.

Accustomed to fighting with their own cultivation and traditional weaponry, the superhumans began to taste the benefits of "superhuman technology enhancement".

Real-world feedback reached them through various channels, and the importance that the leaders of each sect attached to it increased day by day.

What they envied even more was the "Mysterious Armor" equipped by the Shenji Alliance's own combat personnel.

It's no longer a simple formulaic enhancement like that of exoskeleton armor.

Instead, it directly protects the entire body and integrates various runes and mechanisms, providing powerful protection and specific enhancements. It is not a magic weapon, but it is better than a magic weapon.

In several key defensive or counter-attack operations, the Shenji Alliance members, clad in Xuanji armor, demonstrated impressive capabilities in attacking, defending, and launching surprise attacks.

The technological gap between the exoskeleton armor and the Xuanji armor is visible to the naked eye.

As a result, more and more sects expressed their interest in the Xuanji Armor to the Divine Machine Alliance through various channels, and even made purchase requests.

The Shenji Alliance headquarters has a clear and resolute attitude.

The Xuanji Armor and its core technology are not for sale and will not be sold to the public.

While this move disappointed some sects, the Shenji Alliance subsequently proposed another plan that sparked wider discussion: signing a "defense alliance" agreement.

According to the terms of the agreement, sects that formally form an offensive and defensive alliance with the Divine Machine Alliance can have their core members or teams performing specific tasks "rented" from the Divine Machine Alliance a custom-made Xuanji Armor based on their internal merits or contribution points.

During the lease period, the Shenji Alliance will be responsible for the basic maintenance of the mechs, while the user will be responsible for the energy consumption and battle damage repair costs.

The agreement also includes provisions for intelligence sharing and emergency support.

This is not simply equipment leasing; it is more like a strategic cooperation that unites people to promote technological revolution and safeguard our territory.

As role models, those sects that align with the ideals of the Divine Machine Alliance, and who, despite being members of the alliance, still maintain their own sect foundations.

Thus, Tiangongtang and Wuhoupai became the earliest models of arming the Xuanji Armor.

The disciples of Tiangong Hall are skilled in crafting weapons and have a profound understanding of various mechanisms, materials, and energy transmission. However, their individual combat abilities are generally weak, and they have relied on carefully crafted magical artifacts to protect themselves and defeat enemies in the past.

The appearance of the Xuanji Armor perfectly made up for their shortcomings.

The custom-designed Xuanji Armor not only provides robust physical protection, but its internal multiple interfaces and energy channels also allow for seamless integration with their preferred magical artifacts, weapons, and even some specially designed engineering equipment.

A disciple of the Heavenly Craft Hall, clad in mysterious armor and wielding a modified "Assassination Crossbow," possessed firepower sustainability, accuracy, and battlefield adaptability far surpassing anything seen before.

Chapter 179 The Long-Awaited Situation

The changes in the Wuhou School were even more significant.

This school is well-versed in Qimen Dunjia and the Divine Strategies of Zhuge Liang, and its members are all exceptionally intelligent.

However, physical strength and close combat ability are traditional weaknesses.

In the past, due to his own physical condition, many ingenious Qimen formations were slow to be executed or required the cooperation of many people to set them up.

Fortunately, on his deathbed, Zhuge Dan was determined to reform and vigorously promoted the policy that "all disciples of Zhuge Liang can study Qimen Bagua and Zhuge Liang's Divine Strategies, and only the most capable can hold the position," thus breaking this outdated restriction.

The introduction of the Xuanji Armor was perfectly timed.

The adjusted Wuhou Sect exclusive Xuanji Armor has been enhanced with improved calculation rune array and energy stable output capabilities, which can help the wearer calculate the number of rounds and stabilize the core of the formation, while providing basic mobility and protection capabilities.

Two outstanding young talents, Tian Xiaodie and Zhuge Yunhui, used their accumulated merits within the Divine Machine Alliance to exchange for a technology that perfectly suited them.

That was a basic manipulation technique called "Pulling Silk" that Cui Ming had simplified and that was very suitable for their Wuhou School.

This technique, which originated from the Tang Clan and was later improved by Cui Ming,

This perfectly became the best adhesive for the Xuanji Armor and the Wuhou Sect's methods of controlling mechanisms and setting up formations.

For a time, the fighting style of the Wuhou School was completely renewed.

They no longer rely solely on pre-laid fixed formations or traps.

The disciples of the Martial Marquis, clad in the Mysterious Armor, can move and deploy formations more flexibly.

Using the "thread-pulling" technique, the mechanisms on the Xuanji Armor are remotely and precisely controlled as nodes of the Qimen formation, enabling rapid formation changes, multi-point interference, and precise field control.

One afternoon in August 1939, in a valley in southern Hunan.