105: Chapter 105: Squad Battle - Standardized SOP

Squad battles are the main event following the individual arena.

If the individual arena is about "flexing muscles," then squad battles are about "testing the brain."

It is also where a Sect's management flaws are most easily exposed.

As the spatial rift for the simulated battlefield opened, twenty squads from different peaks were teleported into a fog-filled jungle instance.

With the examiner's shout of "Start," the split-screen feeds on the sky screen exploded into action.

The Tianjian Peak squad charged in like a storm.

The strongest Disciple took the lead, scattering the Yao Beast herd, but while those behind could keep up, it was clearly chaotic and disorganized.

The Artifact Refining Peak squad pushed forward using Puppet carts; while stable, they were extremely slow and flustered when encountering agile Yao Beasts.

Not to mention the other squads.

Some had just entered and started arguing over who should be the captain; others were ambushed, their formations instantly collapsing as they fled in all directions.

Only Hengchuan Peak was different.

When the feed cut to the "Blade One" squad from Hengchuan Peak, all the viewers thought they had switched to the wrong channel.

No grand slogans, no reckless charges.

They looked like a group of skilled workers heading to a shift.

"All members, equipment self-check."

Captain Senior Sister Xie Handeng's voice came through coldly.

"Shield, intact."

"Sword, sharp."

"Talisman, fully stocked."

Ten seconds, everyone replied. No nonsense, only code names.

Immediately after, they entered the battlefield.

They were in no rush to find Yao Beasts, instead quickly following their numbers to enter an extremely strange formation.

It wasn't the traditional "product" shape, nor was it a "cone" shape.

It was a… "times" shape.

The outermost circle consisted of meat shields holding large shields, the middle was responsible for output and control, and the core was, surprisingly, the logistics Disciple carrying a large pot.

Every few steps they took, their stride length looked as if it had been measured with a ruler.

The bullet comments in the live stream were initially mocking:

"What kind of formation is this? A turtle stacking arhats?"

"Too cowardly, how can they fight like this?"

But soon, they shut up.

Because the first wave of Yao Beasts had arrived.

It was a group of low-level Yao Beasts called "Wind Blade Weasels" with extreme speed.

Faced with this kind of enemy, traditional Cultivators usually released Sword Qi, set up large formations, or relied on reaction speed to parry.

But Hengchuan Peak was different.

"Contact! Countdown starts!"

Senior Sister Xie Handeng gave the order.

The three shield Cultivators in the front row didn't try to hack into the weasel herd.

They just… held up their shields.

Three people, three shields, formed a seamless triangular fortress.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang!"

Wind blades hit the shields, sparks flying.

If it were ordinary people, after this wave of attacks, they would either counterattack or retreat.

But the rear of Hengchuan Peak moved.

No one shouted "Help," and no one shouted "Support."

The Disciple responsible for supplies just mechanically and precisely followed the rhythm, applying "Recovery Medicinal Pill" liquid to the Acupoints on the backs of the shield Cultivators.

Every ten breaths, one supply. Neither fast nor slow.

Meanwhile, after the front-row shield Cultivators had held for ten breaths (about 30 seconds).

"Rotate!"

Senior Sister Xie Handeng gave the order again.

The three shield Cultivators who were panting from exhaustion immediately retreated, and another three energetic shield Cultivators instantly filled the gaps, the shields connecting seamlessly.

This didn't look like a fight at all.

It looked like… tightening screws on an assembly line.

Suddenly, a mutated giant Wind Blade Weasel King rushed out from the trees on the side.

Danger!

According to conventional logic, the team would be in chaos at this moment, or the main force would turn back to save them.

But in the Hengchuan Peak squad, someone suddenly shouted a code name:

"Unexpected situation encountered, execute G3!"

There was no hesitation.

The output Disciples who were still attacking the rear instantly turned around.

The control Disciple's Formation Flag had already predicted the position and was inserted directly into the Weasel King's path.

"Trap!"

That arrogant Weasel King was fixed in place before it even landed.

Immediately after, the blade light of the three output Disciples fell on its neck simultaneously, like cutting through tofu.

No extra movements, only three slashes.

The Weasel King was dead.

The entire process, from shouting "G3" to the end of the battle, took only two breaths.

The team's formation didn't even waver.

"..."

The live stream was dead silent.

"Is… is this really not some company's fire drill?"

"What the hell is that G3? They even rehearsed this?"

"Too scary, this kind of tacit understanding is stronger than old couples who have lived together for a lifetime."

In Shen Xingzhou's vision, the System interface was refreshing data at a millisecond level.

This was what he valued most.

[Squad Battle · Hengchuan Peak Battle Report (Real-time)]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Even cleaned up hidden dangers on the flank)]

[Battle Damage Situation:]

Severe injuries: 0

Minor injuries: 2 (Both were grazes, not affecting combat power)

[Resource Consumption:]

Qi: Only 60% of conventional combat (Mainly relying on rotation to save explosive power).

Talisman/Medicinal Pill: 40% below average (Precise deployment, no waste).

[SOP Execution Rate: 93% (Extremely standard)]

[System Auto-generated:]

"Standardized Combat Squad SOP (Draft).doc" has been generated.

Core modules: Formation rotation mechanism, emergency code plans, timed logistics support.

[System Comment:]

Reached the standard of a "ready for direct promotion" standardized combat squad.

This wasn't won by talent; it was won by industrialized processes.

Shen Xingzhou looked at the "Ready for direct promotion" tag, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

He wasn't just fighting in The Grand Exam.

He was showing the entire cultivation world a possibility—

Cultivation doesn't need Geniuses. It only needs qualified parts and a qualified blueprint.

High above, the Central Region Rating Envoy's gaze was locked tightly on the Hengchuan Peak data panel.

Compared to the undulating, turbulent casualty curves of the other peaks.

Hengchuan Peak's line was as smooth as a straight line.

Whether facing a Yao Beast herd or a sudden situation.

The green curve representing "Team Integrity" barely fluctuated.

"This..."

There was a hint of amazement in the Rating Envoy's voice for the first time.

"The casualty curve barely shakes; this is too rare on the battlefield."

"Even the elite legions of the Central Continent cannot achieve this level of 'controllability'."

He reached out and typed a few lines heavily into his internal assessment report.

[Assessment Object: Qingheng Sect · Hengchuan Peak]

[Assessment Conclusion:]

This model possesses extremely high tactical value.

It abandons excessive reliance on individual combat power and compensates for the lack of individual quality through highly efficient organizational structure.

[Recommendation:]

Possesses huge potential for promotion to all low-to-mid-level Sects in the Nine Provinces.

Even… can be piloted as a "Standard Survival Scheme for Low-level Cultivators."

The Rating Envoy paused, his gaze deep.

If this model could be promoted.

Then the casualty rate of the entire cultivation world's bottom layer might drop by more than 30%.

This is a key.

A key to opening the door to "Industrialized Cultivation."

However, just as the Rating Envoy saw "hope."

On the ground, in a corner of the stands, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

An Elder from a certain peak stared fixedly at the smooth cooperation of Hengchuan Peak on the sky screen, his fingers creaking as he gripped the armrest.

The few Disciples behind him looked even worse.

"This… this is too unreasonable."

A Disciple muttered, "The Moves they use are all the most basic sword techniques, and that shield is just ordinary goods."

"Why is it so strong when put together?"

Another Disciple next to him said with a sobbing tone: "If the Sect tests according to this model in the future…"

"Then how are we supposed to get by? If we slack off and don't practice, we can just slack off with the team?"

"No… it's that as long as we lag behind the rhythm slightly, we will be judged as 'defective products' by the System and kicked out…"

"Shut up!"

The Elder scolded in a low voice.

But his panic was even worse than the Disciples'.

If this "SOP Model" was really recognized.

Then what authority would Elders like them, who rely on "personal prestige," "teacher-student relationships," and "resource monopoly" to maintain their status, have?

If a group of ordinary Disciples could defeat the sword formations that Genius Disciples worked hard to practice just by following a process.

Then what's the point of teaching? What's the point of Legacy? What are they, the "Elders," for?

"These lunatics…"

The Elder gritted his teeth, "This is turning cultivation into farming!"

"If they produce a bunch of 'Cultivators who know how to calculate,' is this Jianghu still the Jianghu we know?"

[System Public Opinion Monitoring (Internal High-level)]

[Object: Traditionalist Elders and Vested Interest Holders]

[Hostility towards "Hengchuan Peak Model":]

Jealousy: 85% (Why are you, a trash-picker, stronger than me?)

Fear: 90% (Afraid of the model being promoted, losing their rice bowl)

[Undeniable Fact:]

The data advantage cannot be refuted.

The Heavenly Dao rating is tilting towards them.

Shen Xingzhou stood in the preparation area, feeling the gazes shooting at him like sharp swords.

He knew that Hengchuan Peak had won this match.

But he had also completely put himself on the fire to be roasted.

This wasn't just winning a competition.

This was challenging the "traditional concepts" of the entire cultivation world.

Just then, the gray small text on the bottom bar of the System interface appeared again.

This time, it didn't mock; it just stated a cruel future.

[System Prompt]

[Congratulations.]

"You have proven to the entire Sect—'Worker SOP' can really win battles."

"Now, the entire Nine Provinces has seen this key."

"The next step has only two results."

"Either this model is fully promoted, and Hengchuan Peak becomes the maker of the new rules."

"Or…"

"It is regarded as 'heresy' and faces the craziest suppression and encirclement from the old world."

Shen Xingzhou took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

Promotion? Or suppression?

He wouldn't choose.

He would only keep winning.

Winning until they have to kneel down, hold this SOP, and say "So true."