132. Tianhuan Strikes
The mechanical units advanced slowly like a swaying forest, their mobile armors fierce and blazing. They moved with the storm; natural disasters raged beside them, yet couldn't affect their high-spirited battle fervor.
In the past, they slaughtered at will, achieved feats, invaded countless lands, and made small nations kneel. Now, facing the Red Arrow people disrupting the sacred ceremony, they naturally wouldn't let it slide.
Li Aozi would be defeated in the most miserable way, his spine broken, chained, dragged back to the Kingdom, judged on a global broadcast, and then executed. Only in this way could national stability be ensured, and only thus could Tianhuan's authority be maintained.
Walking with a natural disaster was such a mad and shocking scene: the sky was filled with intersecting lightning and thunder, like a million frenzied dragons dancing. Dust and smoke gathered in a storm at 680 kilometers per hour, carrying millions of tons of earth, snow, and water vapor, forming a colossal beast of destruction stretching thousands of kilometers, tearing everything into fine ice sand; in some places, the friction was so intense that sparks and electric currents could be seen.
The reason why natural disasters are called natural disasters is that people lack the ability to resist or confront them. Tianhuan warriors acted cautiously, maintaining tight formation. Each driver gripped the steering wheel tightly, resisting the fierce winds. Even the tens-of-tons mobile armors were nothing more than slightly harder iron snacks in front of a natural disaster.
The regiment commander, Kanou Asahi, was highly vigilant. As an old soldier who had invaded the Frost-Plated Republic, he knew that even a lion must give its all when hunting a rabbit.
On the battlefield more than a decade ago, Tianhuan's army advanced triumphantly, knocking out 12 forward cities in two weeks. The exhausted Mai Dewei government was busy suppressing the Rose Army and showed little interest in resisting Tianhuan's invasion of Frost-Plated.
Even then, the seemingly decadent Frost-Plated soldiers erupted with unwavering resolve, fighting to the end, holding Tianhuan warriors at the strategic fortress for 72 days.
When Tianhuan warriors took the living room, Frost-Plated soldiers fought back from the kitchen. When the enemy entered the bedroom, Frost-Plated soldiers defended the balcony.
The long 72 days wore down the will of both the front line and the leadership. The public's anti-war sentiment grew, and front-line soldiers became numb, questioning the possibility of victory.
After that period, the Red Arrow Empire finished quelling its domestic rebellion. The Empire wasn't particularly invested in the Frost-Plated issue, but it understood that if Frost-Plated fell, the tripartite power balance would plunge the Empire into endless disputes. Thus, it subtly expressed:
"Although the Empire is struggling and its economy is unstable, we have enough nuclear weapons."
Tianhuan was also a nuclear power, but its nuclear arsenal was a relic of the past. Despite having a large quantity, it couldn't sustain a prolonged nuclear war, while Red Arrow's territory was three times that of Tianhuan, rich in seabed uranium and helium resources, making it far more capable of sustaining war.
The people of Tianhuan weren't genuinely passionate about war; they were interested in invasions that benefited them. The Red Arrow people were mad because they aimed for revenge, ready to perish together, but Tianhuan people weren't. They fought for gain and to enjoy life; no one wanted to join the madness.
Kanou Asahi, who survived the '72 Days of Hell,' was unlike today's hot-blooded youths. He had witnessed how the Frost-Plated soldiers, usually known for fleeing and surrendering, launched counterattacks under toxic gas and flames against the relentless bombardment of the warriors, using the city's streets, turning off artificial suns, and exploiting the darkness and cold wind to ambush and harass, thoroughly exhausting Tianhuan's blitz strategy.
The young soldiers felt relaxed about the battle because Li Aozi was alone.
He was just one person. On a modern battlefield, he could destroy Frost-Plated's dispersed air force units but couldn't harm the unified and organized Tianhuan warriors.
Yet, Kanou Asahi took this battle very seriously because Li Aozi was just one person!
The terrifying thing about Li Aozi was that he alone achieved the destructive power only an elite corps could deliver. Gamma-tier warriors could dismantle a city, but doing so solo required as much time and effort as deploying an entire regiment with similar resources.
But Li Aozi was different. His abilities were unique—fires and gravity, all potent area damage. Calling him a human-shaped natural disaster was no exaggeration.
Despite being alone, Li Aozi never took things lightly. Before engaging in battle, he actively sought SCIA intelligence officers, obtaining and reviewing extensive data on Li Aozi, scrutinizing every battle and even noting his preference for chicken strips with mashed potatoes.
Based on his assessment, Li Aozi had immense area damage, but his combat power against individual strong foes seemed somewhat lacking. The more people ganged up on him, the more vibrant he became.
Li Aozi also possessed powerful intelligence-gathering capabilities. The hydrogen bomb hidden under the Hojo Group's underground facility was concealed in abandoned fog, but Li Aozi retrieved it from Hojo Tower in under ten minutes.
Evidence suggested Li Aozi had strong intelligence control over small nations like Grant as well. During the assault on the Sulut Palace, hardly any resistance fighters were killed.
To Kanou Asahi, Li Aozi seemed born for war. The official profile on Li Aozi described him as 'a stunning beauty whose arrogance stemmed from being able to obtain anything, not highly intelligent but deeply cunning, with a strong charisma.'
Some people, upon seeing his lower intelligence rating, might breathe a sigh of relief, overlooking Li Aozi's greatest advantage—his powerful charisma.
Thirty percent of people in this world have intelligence above average, but not all high-IQ individuals become high earners.
However, those with strong charisma are rarely poor. The worst among them might be courtesans or socialites, but with some education, they become organizers, leaders, or advocates.
Why aren't high-IQ individuals the leaders? Because they know how to protect themselves and never take the top position that carries the most risk.
A leader's primary skills are not intelligence but charisma, cohesion, and decisiveness. If nothing else, they need combat strength, and human combat power is often linked to how many people they can mobilize. In other words, if you have charisma, high-IQ individuals will willingly serve you.
So, with Li Aozi's immense charisma and stunning appearance, does he have no support at all?
Kanou Asahi didn't think so; on the contrary, he believed a massive force supported Li Aozi behind the scenes.
If Li Aozi were truly working alone, the independence of the Grant Duchy would have been impossible. Behind this was the combined effort of Red Arrow, Zhengxu, and Tianhuan, slicing up colonies and weakening Frost-Plated.
Kanou Asahi studied this closely and quickly found that Li Aozi excelled at maneuvering among the four nations, leveraging one against the other. He held a Green Card from Red Arrow without any entry records, was born in Frost-Plated, frequently interacted with external parties, bought Zhengxu's arms, and made money from Tianhuan people... His social connections were so vast that if Li Aozi wished, he could stand with any side except Frost-Plated at any time.
Such formidable social skills were terrifying. Kanou Asahi even suspected that Li Aozi's forces were already prepared, ready to strike.
His concerns weren't unfounded. Li Aozi had frequently mentioned topics related to 'external territories.' If Li Aozi were highly regarded there, he could assemble an external force, armed with his ties to Red Arrow and Zhengxu, ready to ambush.
Therefore, Kanou Asahi dispatched the ninja unit, sending these lightly armed scouts to search and probe for ambushes.
The air force units above patrolled in all directions, with drone squadrons activating optical camouflage and scanning the ground with thermal imaging, leaving nothing unchecked.
Many thought Kanou Asahi was overreacting; dealing with one man, and a fugitive defeated by Yuhelai at that, did he need to be so cautious?
Being overly tense would only waste resources, weaken morale, and prove thankless. The soldiers might not even want to listen to him.
But soon, the soldiers would realize just how correct Kanou's decisions were.
"Signal from the ninja unit! Thermal response detected at ten o'clock."
In the temporary command post of the transport helicopter, the adjutant spoke solemnly:
"Sir Kanou, based on intelligence analysis, it might be a convoy—a fully armed convoy."
"Just as I expected. Li Aozi's intelligence-gathering ability remains consistent. Our movements were likely exposed long ago."
Kanou Asahi nodded. He hadn't guessed wrong.
"But we're moving along the path of the natural disaster. How did he manage to do it...?"
"Who knows? Maybe the command center didn't keep a tight lid on things."
Kanou Asahi sneered, muttering:
"Let's hope the enemy isn't really in the command center. I don't want to get involved in messy infighting—Sakata squad, shift to the intercept formation. Call in our warplanes; make a slight detour, and once combat begins, cut off their retreat."
"Uh, Colonel, something seems off." The adjutant glanced at the map, his face growing tense. "This area seems to be Sunny Garden. The suspected convoy signal source is underground in Sunny Garden—there's actually a subway line here."
"Are you talking about the Green Base?"
"Yes, shouldn't we avoid clashing with these Biochemists? If we follow the previous tactics, their headquarters will inevitably be bombed."
With the Biochemists' fanaticism, if they dared to burn a single tree, they'd undoubtedly launch a frenzied assault.
However, there are differences even among madmen.
Kanou Asahi hesitated briefly, then decided:
"Don't worry about them. A bunch of relics from the old era clinging to their green world dream! They'll be eradicated by the Ring King sooner or later."
"So, should we—"
"Continue executing the battle orders. Also, have the Skyhawk fighters drop bunker-buster bombs to force Li Aozi and his men out!"
Kanou Asahi took a deep breath, his gaze turning sharp:
"Link up with the tactical platform, everyone. The chance to redeem ourselves has arrived. Long live His Majesty the Ring King!"