The telescopes were created using the same Transparent Gemsteel he’d develop to use as windows. Sage explained to the researchers a few tidbits of information he’d picked up, how white light was made up of all the colors of light and how the color of an object is related to absorbing all the other colors of light so it only reflected back that one color of light. Then he carefully made a prism by shaping the Transparent Gemsteel into a triangular shape and demonstrated the colors and bending of light. From there he had them make a variety of lenses of differing sizes with different combinations of concave, convex, and flat sides. Sage couldn’t remember the actual combination of lenses required to make a telescope, let alone the extra lenses needed to fix the horizontal and vertical inversion of the image. He let the Lang Clan researchers figure out the details and experiment with how to create a proper telescope.

Sage also had them figure out how to add an adjustable crosshair, incorporating a small bar from above and the side. They had to figure out where to place these lines for optimal performance, and he had already shown them all the types of mechanical gears, screws, and adjusters he could remember. He vaguely remembered it involving a tube with springs and screws pressing against it, and he sketched out a few random ideas before letting them hammer out the fine details. Just like the War Table, the researchers were successful and the Lang Clan was equipped with telescopes and weapon scopes. The Stumblebows used by the rank and file members of the Dragoon’s weren’t upgraded but those used by the Lang Clan members were. Sage also had a few of his own to use with the Shard Rifles, and the Soul Clone got plenty of practice in this regard over the years.

These advancements allowed the Lang Clan members to command the battlefield without ever stepping out of the command tent. As for the tent it was actually a stone building in a similar shape as a command tent. It was another common magical device, specifically made for this purpose. When it wasn’t in use it could be shrunk down to the size of a chest and it was protected by a few very powerful defensive Formation Arrays. It also had a very complex system to filter and screen Flying Messages to validate the message source and recipient to protect against tampering. Sage didn’t always need to reinvent the wheel and encouraged the Clan to use common magical devices whenever possible to save their efforts for unique improvements.

At this time, they weren’t just observing the Lang Clan’s Dragoons, but also the other four battlefields at the same time using Observation Airships. Sage was present in the command tent, allowing them to operate without his interference. He felt the campaign was going a little too easy at this point, but none of his Clan was in direct danger so he didn’t bother saying anything.

Unfortunately, his ill feeling was accurate.

On the battlefield, the Branch Clans continued to suffer under wave after wave of fire from the defensive pagodas. At the same time, they never let up in their bombardment of the barrier formed by those pagodas. The barrier continued to weaken and shouts of encouragement could be heard from the leaders of each squad. Those shouts were suddenly interrupted by a massive wave of energy. The barriers suddenly transformed their remaining power into an offensive strike, transforming from a solid dome into many thin arcs. The narrow waves of energy shot outwards and cut into the Branch Clans like many thin blades. Each of these energy arcs weren’t very powerful individually, but they were released in many overlapping waves to smash through their defensive measures using their combined might.

In the process the eight defensive pagodas self-detonated, adding their power to the attack and trading many Fu Clan lives for those of the Branch Clans. Even the main factions of the Chong Clan were wishing they could go back to before the Fu Clan made its suicidal attack. Each of the Branch Clans suddenly suffered immense losses, that single attack killing twice as many as the whole battle up to that point had. It was at this point that the Chong Clan stepped forward and charged into the destroyed pagodas, assaulting them with various attacks to ensure they were completely wiped clean. The Branches retrieved their dead and wounded, pulling back to nurse their wounds and mourn their losses. If the Chong Clan had dared to send them in again there were signs that the Branches might actually rebel given their immense losses.

For the Chong Clan, they considered the Branch Clans to have achieved their job, acting as cannon fodder to wear down the defensive arrays and give the main family direct access to their enemies. Each of the main factions were now at their full strength, well rested and high in morale. They weren’t pleased with the loss that the Branches suffered, but they were also secretly rejoicing that it wasn’t them who had suffered. Every cultivator was equivalent to a pile of a clan’s resources and every death was the loss of an important asset.

The Jinxie, Xie, Xiyi, Wa, and Wu rushed towards Good Fortune City and flooded through its gates. The Branches had acted individually, but the main family acted in unison, the cultivators of the different factions mixing together for this attack. A massive purple-black scorpion went first, using its building-sized pincers to smash open the city gates. The Purple Backed Giant Scorpion crashed through the narrow opening and spun around a few times, leveling the buildings closest to the gates to the ground and demolishing a clearing around each of the city entrances.

Next up, a wave of large lizards, very much like a horse-sized velociraptor without the feathers, charged through the open gates. Upon the backs of each of these lizards running on two legs were the cultivators of the Xiyi faction. They carried shields along with narrow lances and were remarkably heavily armored for cultivators. Additionally, there was a smaller lizard sitting on the back of their saddle crouching between a set of armored plates. The Xiyi charged down the streets of Good Fortune City and any cultivators that dared to stand up to them faced the point of a lance wreathed in various Qi techniques. Those that hid down the alleys to avoid them were spit at with a stream of poison released by the small lizards sitting behind their saddles.

Following behind the charge of giant lizards were the strange figures of the Wa. They looked to be covered in slimy leathery suits of armor with webbed fingers and a toad head helmet. This was the strange and well known technique of the Wa, wearing their companion toads like a suit of armor. They marched down the streets after they were cleared by the Xiyi, and smashed their toad armored bodies into the defensive positions set up by the city’s defenders. Just like the Xiyi they ignored the residences of the mortals, but the Fu Clan had set up defensive positions at street corners, turning the buildings into fortresses and blocking nearby roads to channel the invaders down specific roads where they had cultivators waiting in ambush.

The Xie followed up, using their tiny Scarlet Winged Scorpions to pick off these ambushers and supported the Wa from behind with ranged attacks. They weren’t afraid to get involved, but the frogs the Wa wore as armor had good resistance against attacks and healed very quickly from the injuries it sustained. The Xie let the toads distract their enemies and then they took advantage of these openings to deal vicious blows.

Finally, the Wu took care of the rest of Good Fortune City. They moved from rooftop to rooftop removing subtle threats before they could materialize and they contained all of the other organizations and families in Good Fortune City that might try to assist the Fu Clan in the battle. There were formal rules when it came to challenging for the City Lord position, which would be enforced by a County Prefect. Challenges for control of a county would then be overseen by the Provincial Governor, but when it came to challenging a Province the rules were far more lax. Such an event was far too rare as these first rate powers were immensely powerful. Even the Royal Family would have to expend quite a bit of effort and resources to intervene. As long as neither side didn’t go too overboard the Royals would stay out of it. It was truly a real war.