319: Chapter 319 Deploying Troops and Forming a Battlefield!

This team, carefully selected from the entire Astral Express, moved faster than Lin Xiao had anticipated.

With the support of building skills, a dozen or so people were busy around the stronghold for less than half an hour.

A circular defensive fortification had already been built.

The materials used were sandstone dismantled from the ruins of Qitian Temple; while not as strong as the armor of the Astral Express itself, it was more than enough to block the charge of the Scarab Beetles.

Inside the fortifications, several multi-purpose stone rooms were set up, using modular structures improved from the Heze-style furniture blueprints, which saved space while providing temporary rest areas for the garrison.

The largest stone room was, naturally, Lin Xiao's command post.

Lin Xiao summoned the nine team captains who were acting as the main force, as well as Captain Lu Gongda, Ruan Li, and Princess Xiyao, who represented the Merfolk Tribe.

Princess Xiyao was wearing a lightweight Merfolk Tribe battle armor, her silver-blue long hair tied into a high ponytail, with a short-handled trident at her waist.

Standing among a group of burly captains, her figure appeared exceptionally slender, yet no one questioned her qualifications.

After experiencing the decisive battle at the Di Peoples Kingdom alongside Jing Hua, this princess was no longer the vase who only knew how to hide behind her guards.

Lin Xiao placed a simple sand table on the stone table.

He used the stronghold as the center and radiated a directional map outward.

The Astral Express had transported 1,440 people this time.

Lin Xiao divided them into five formations, with an average of 280 people per team, each led by two captains.

The southeast direction was assigned to Captain Xie Yun and Princess Xiyao.

The tactical literacy of a military academy instructor, combined with the brave female warriors of the Merfolk Tribe, gave this combination a great advantage in both offense and defensive positioning.

The due south direction was the responsibility of Chen Pingan and Fang Yuan; both were purely offensive types, making them most suitable for the front line.

The southwest direction was Liu Bi and Sergei; with these two workaholics together, they would surely carve out a bloody path.

The due west direction was assigned to Fan Sinian and Zhou Jun; a tank plus crowd control was a standard front-row combination, and Fan Sinian's loud voice could also serve as half a signalman.

The northwest direction was Hao Ke and Xu Shan; one could transform into a giant, the other wielded a giant hammer, so their efficiency in smashing Scarab Beetles would not be low.

As for the area from due east to due north, Lin Xiao was responsible for it himself.

He did not need additional passengers to accompany him, only Jiang Wanwan, Tian Xiwei, and Yimu to provide necessary support.

Simply put, he alone was an army.

"As for Ruan Li and the engineering team led by Captain Lu Gongda, you stay inside the defensive fortifications; you do not need to participate in the battle directly."

Lin Xiao lifted his gaze from the sand table and looked at the two people standing in the corner of the stone room.

"Captain Lu Gongda is responsible for repairing the fortifications, and Ruan Li will treat the wounded. Rewards will be distributed according to contribution after the battle!"

"I will not leave anyone behind who has put in the effort."

He scanned the entire stone room, his tone calm, but every word carried weight.

"Furthermore, such a large palace ruin must contain rewards even richer than Qitian Temple. Once we clear out the Insect Swarm, we will go in and explore properly!"

Everyone in the stone room cheered and rubbed their hands in anticipation.

After everything was assigned, the captains led their people to their designated positions to wait for the arrival of the Insect Swarm.

Outside the stone room came the sound of shouting and the crisp clashing of weapons, occasionally interspersed with Fan Sinian's loud voice.

Captain Lu Gongda led the engineering team along the circular fortifications to conduct a final patrol and check the solidity of the stone walls.

Ruan Li followed Captain Xie Yun and the others to familiarize herself with the battlefield environment to avoid being dizzy and disoriented like yesterday.

The stone room quieted down.

Lin Xiao turned around and looked at Jiang Wanwan, who was sitting by the stone table.

She was flipping through the dense list on the registration form, her finger sliding down column by column.

Feeling Lin Xiao's gaze, Jiang Wanwan looked up and blinked unconsciously.

Then, as if remembering something, she exclaimed, "Oh right, we haven't drawn the event card today!"

Lin Xiao looked at her rare moment of confusion, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"No rush, there is still time."

"It's all because we spent an hour fussing this morning and forgot the important business." Jiang Wanwan put down the registration form, pressed the back of her hand against her slightly flushed cheeks, and lowered her voice for fear of being heard by the people nearby.

"It was only an hour." Lin Xiao smiled. "If it weren't for the mission today, I would have wanted to play a little longer."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanwan raised her hand and tapped him lightly on the chest. "Do you even know how to cherish the fairer sex!"

The force was not great, but the reproach in her eyes was genuine.

"However, speaking of which, what kind of constitution do you have, Little Lin? The four of us can't satisfy you..."

Tian Xiwei coughed softly beside them and tilted her head slightly to one side.

Lin Xiao turned his head to look.

Yimu was sitting on the other side of the stone table, her hands folded on her lap, sitting upright.

Her head was lowered very low, and the veil of her hood covered her entire face; it was unknown what she was thinking.

However, those translucent arms were emitting a pale blue fluorescence brighter than usual, flickering on and off at a very fast frequency.

That seemed to be an instinctive reaction when her emotions fluctuated.

Just like humans have an increased heart rate when blushing.

Lin Xiao cleared his throat. "Sorry, Yimu, I didn't notice you were still here..."

Yimu raised her head, and the veil swayed slightly.

"It's fine."

Her voice was still cold and ethereal, but her speaking speed was a few beats faster than usual. "I wish you a good time."

After a brief silence, Jiang Wanwan covered her face.

Tian Xiwei lowered her head and pretended to check the supplies list in her backpack.

As for Lin Xiao, watching the jellyfish who wished she could shrink her entire body into her hood, he couldn't help but laugh softly.

Hearing this laugh, the fluorescence on Yimu's arms flashed even brighter, with a very obvious frequency of panic.

Jiang Wanwan restrained her smile and asked seriously, "Shall we draw the card directly?"

The implication was whether they should avoid Yimu.

Lin Xiao naturally understood, but he nodded. "It's fine, we're all our own people, draw it."

Jiang Wanwan looked at Yimu, then turned to Lin Xiao and secretly sent a private message.

[07-01 Jiang Wanwan: Little Lin, your taste is quite unique. The previous Merfolk Tribe sister, and now the jellyfish sister...]

Lin Xiao looked helpless and replied:

[07-01 Lin Xiao: Don't get the wrong idea. Yimu is our partner. There are many special areas in the Cloud Palace that require her guidance.]

[07-01 Jiang Wanwan: Oh, is that so... Jing Hua wasn't a partner before either, but in the end...]

[07-01 Lin Xiao: Wanwan, you are acting very strange. Are you worried about something?]

[07-01 Jiang Wanwan: Not really, I just think you might be too busy to handle it later.]

[07-01 Lin Xiao: Don't worry, there is an order of seniority and respect, and you will always be first.]

[07-01 Jiang Wanwan: Oh, you're so stupid, that's not what I meant!!!]

...

Lin Xiao scratched his head.

Jiang Wanwan raised her hands with an unhappy expression and began to draw today's event card.

One million stardust was deducted from her balance.

That familiar golden radiance overflowed from between her folded fingers, more solid than the previous few times.

The golden light surged slowly in the stone room, illuminating the sandstone embedded in the four walls, refracting countless tiny light spots, sprinkling on the stone room dome like a miniature starry sky.

The outline under Yimu's hood tilted slightly, looking at the three golden light streams that were condensing, her slender fingers tightening unconsciously.

Such powerful energy!

And it was not an ordinary energy fluctuation, but a high-level power that could directly influence the rules of the plane!

Soon, the three golden lights condensed and formed above the stone table, turning into three suspended golden cards.

Jiang Wanwan withdrew her hands, her chest rising and falling slightly.

Lin Xiao didn't waste any time and immediately raised his hand to flip the first one.

[Heavenly Wishing Pool]

[In the towering palace that hangs ten thousand meters in the sky and covers a hundred miles, there is a mysterious place.

That is an ancient well discovered by the ancestors of the Heze Kingdom thousands of years ago, and it is also the foundation for the development and growth of the Heze Kingdom.

Just by throwing any item into the well, you can get unexpected rewards.

And the founding emperor of the Heze Kingdom engraved a line of text on the wellhead:

<My people, please use it with restraint. This mysterious ancient well may make you rich, or it may leave you with nothing...>]