Compared to the Yi Yang Groups other hidden bases, the conditions of the terrain here were really unfortunate. The fiery woman was the perfect counter to their wilderness retreat. She was able to completely dominate them without even requiring any backup. Of course, she still had the same forces backing her up as the others. In the distance twenty Airships were circling the area, carrying the scouting equipment as well as backup ready to rush into action at any time. There was also the fact that she’d spent a few days preparing the battlefield by pumping poison into the forest plants.

The violent detonation of the groups of soldiers was not even as bad as the others near them. At least the soldiers at the epicenter of the explosions were blown to bits, ending their lives instantly. The others that were further away only had their defensive barriers broken leaving them to be consumed by the raging flames sheathing their bodies. For those watching in the control room far away, they actually became thankful of the mind controlling helmets since it meant they didn’t have to hear the soldiers screaming in agony. That relief was only for a moment because it only further highlighted how terrible the Yi Yang Groups practices were, showing their lack of response even facing such terrible deaths.

It was a shame the Lang Clan was not more powerful as they might be able to save these unfortunate soldiers, but that would put themselves at too much of a risk to start a prolonged war with the Yi Yang Group. Instead, it was better to strike with devastating might and settle for putting these poor souls out of their misery. Only the strongest and most powerful had the luxury of being kind and saving everyone. The best the Lang Clan could do for them was to provide a merciful death.

The main screen switched over to a different battleground.

A field of large shattered stones filled the vision as far as the eye could see. Legend said that this place, the Shattered Range, was once a majestic mountain range. Extremely powerful experts had fought here and completely destroyed the mountains. Now, these huge stones were placed haphazardly creating a maze of broken ground and twisted pathways. Since it was not located directly between two important cities it was far easier for travelers to simply detour around it and no one ever bothered to break or move the huge stones and create a path through it. Well, nobody good at least.

Instead, the place was another haven for shadowy forces. Bandits, smugglers and other criminals created their own maps and paths through the place. There were also dozens of secret bases hidden among the Shattered Range. One of which was another Yi Yang Group hideout. Due to the terrible terrain, they felt they could easily defend this place that nobody had much of a chance to reach.

Unfortunately for them, they didn’t really take into account that their enemy could be so adept in the skies. Flying Ships were extremely expensive and rare, and Flying Mounts were only owned by the most powerful organizations. Why would anyone with such strength have anything to do with a little base of a criminal organization in the middle of nowhere? They didn’t realize the deep enmity they’d formed with the Lang Clan, and how it would lead to fifty airships and thousands of Dragoons assaulting them from the sky. These two factors meant the Lang Clan could truly dominate the skies with their sheer quantity. Giving the power of flight to their weakest members was a huge advantage, let alone having access to so many cheap flying Magical Tools. Other groups had to carefully raise at least tier 3 Demonic Beasts as mounts, spend a fortune on a single Flying Ship, or have a few rank 5 or higher Cultivators with Wind type laws. There was no way they could match the Lang Clan’s numbers when in the sky.

To deal with the rough terrain they sent an overly large aerial team to this location. Unlike the others, the ‘commander’ of this battle was not taking everything into their own hands. Instead, this slim woman led a team of a hundred legitimate members of the Lang Clan. Not just relying on the fodder-like Dragoons, but a full team of elites. Their Airship dove lower, moving at a much more rapid pace than the others could. The shape of its envelope was wider and flatter than the others, even having a somewhat wing-like shape. To allow it to drop so suddenly it was fitted to rapidly vent the hot gasses that carried it aloft. Unfortunately, this also meant it would take time to recover those same gasses and to keep it from smashing into the ground it was re-shaped to allow it to glide while it created enough gas to hold it up.

After the sudden drop in elevation it leveled out and swooped over the Yi Yang Group’s base. Thick ropes were suddenly thrown out the back of its open deck and darkly dressed figures suddenly slid downwards. As high ranking Cultivators with powerful bodies it was a simple thing for them to slide a few hundred feet down a thick rope and land on the ground without injury even when moving at high speed.

The Yi Yang Group had moved or destroyed just a handful of the huge stones and cleared out a large space for a base. It was ringed by the building sized rocks creating a very safe set of walls for themselves. They even hired an expert to teach them how to balance huge stones on pivot points to create two stone gates.

Unfortunately, these carefully crafted defenses were utterly negated by the sudden assault from the sky. They had a powerful defensive Formation Array, tuned to create a barrier over the top of their base to seal up the only weakness. The only problem was that it wasn’t always active. Another cost saving measure just like the other bases of the Yi Yang Group. The information gathering of the Lang Clan had become very effective and they grasped at this obvious weakness. The sudden entrance of a hundred people essentially falling out of the sky was not something they expected.

By the time they realized what was happening and activated the defensive array, it was already too late. The energy barrier sliced through the ropes bridging the Airship with the ground, but all of the troops were already sliding downwards. The last people in line were about a hundred feet off the ground when the ropes were cut. They and the few further down on the lines were thrown into a free fall, but the others who reached the ground earlier acted quickly to try and break their fall. Twenty of the hundred invaders were injured, but after quickly taking medicinal pills only three people couldn’t recover properly.

Already suffering casualties before the battle even started made the commander’s face twist into a vicious grin. Especially since they were already smack dab in the middle of the enemy’s base. The many homes and buildings of this base were leaned up against the heavy stone wall leaving the wide central area open. From the moment the first one of them touched down to now only a few seconds had passed. The weakened members of the group moved to the middle just as the doors of the buildings started to open and troops wearing those wide brimmed spiked caps rushed out.