As it turned out, with a mix of elements on both sides, any tactic that the continental alliance could use could also be managed by the Sovereign Primacy. There was still the matter of proper training required, but there were particular things that cultivators of particular elements would gravitate towards. Such as air cultivators seeking out flight, once they were strong enough.

  The Muted Crags reduced the effect of all senses, which meant that flying scouts both could approach more closely to their targets… and had to. John couldn’t just fling himself up many kilometers into the sky or he would only see vague shapes- though he supposed if he were directly above a location the effects would be minimal.

  Ultimately, the continental alliance already knew the possibilities, but they couldn’t know how long the occupation of the Black Peaks had been spying on them with fliers before they finally spotted one.

  John’s instincts were to fly up and take down the scout. However, his caution and logic won out. Either they had already spotted them setting up the tents and removing material, or they hadn’t. Revealing his flight for others watching- perhaps not the possibility itself but the limits of his speed and agility- would be a mistake.

  Instead they took it as an opportunity to confuse the city. One way was by creating perfectly legitimate fortifications atop one of the nearby crags, along with siege weapon emplacements. The city had carefully measured for typical dangers well before it was taken over, so only weapons operated by late Consolidated Soul Phase or Ascending Soul Phase cultivators would likely have enough range and power to do any damage, but they were still somewhat a threat.

  And if the enemy thought that was the whole plan, then it was worth the effort.

  They would still shoot down the scouts if they came a little bit too close, though. They just didn’t plan to reveal their maximum limits unnecessarily. If they looked too unconcerned about the scouts, it would be more suspicious.

  It was a shame they didn’t have terribly many stronger air cultivators with their current siege group, or they could just have someone else chase them away. In groups, preferably, so that they didn’t lose valuable cultivators from their own side. Anyone who could fly was of significant worth, because of the techniques and power involved.

  -----

  Beneath the surface, digging operations continued. Maintaining a proper heading was about half the work, a difficulty that Ursel hadn’t anticipated. Normally they would be able to sense their target aboveground using their spiritual energy, but here the whole point was that they couldn’t- and thus were protected in turn.

  They had to rely on proper measurements of angles and distances as they navigated around various obstacles- the removal of which might give them away. There wasn’t any stone tough enough that they couldn’t smash through it or carve it away, it would simply take too long or be too obvious when they did.

  Ursel hadn’t done much sneaking around in a while. Mostly when she was a kid, really, and that hadn’t involved nearly as much earth manipulation.

  “According to our calculations,” Miron commented, “We should be beneath the walls within half a day.” The Scalding Geyser Sect cultivator was in the Consolidated Soul Phase, but he was responsible for part of the collapse plan.

  Liquifying the ground would certainly be more effective than simply digging it out with earth element, if they did it correctly. The key was collapsing the supports precisely when they wanted to. Or at least, together and after everyone was out of the area.

  As always, estimates were imperfect. It took them until the next day at noon to reach directly beneath the walls, at which point they began branching out. That was when Ursel’s job ramped up. She was building a wall, underground. Why?

  Because Miron was going to create a huge amount of pressure, and loose soil would just fall apart. Thus, a horizontal wall paralleling the wall above- just slightly further out. They used the densest earth and stone they had come across, boulders that had been annoyingly blocking their way or filling up the tent. Both, really. But they knew they would need them.

  Reshaping unenchanted stone was easy. Ursel just told it what shape it needed to be, and whether it should become one with stone next to it. She could also force it into shape, but that was no better than squashing two rocks together with her muscles. There was a subtlety to these things, like her roots. It was nice to remind people that she could do subtle when she wanted to.

  The wall was anchored in the earth above and below, extending into the natural terrain and fusing with it to the degree that was viable. Small gaps were filled in with a mortar mixture which was coaxed into becoming proper stone, such that it wouldn’t be a weak point. Ursel was willing to bet someone was going to screw up their part of things, but they could afford a few weak points. Either way, she’d be checking it over before they were done.

  This wasn’t the quickest way to bring down the wall, but they intended for it to be the most… spectacular. It would be a long walk back to the camp… but that was why they were going to climb up out of the hole, or just dig through the soil above them with reckless abandon, depending on how things went.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  -----

  Ursel punched the wall. Just a regular punch with no spiritual energy behind it, but it created a loud enough echo from her solid gauntlets to make a few people doubt that. Most people didn’t end up with as much muscle as she did, because it was easier to just supplement with spiritual energy- and the time could be used for different training. They weren’t wrong to do so… until they were exhausted.

  A cultivator without energy was defenseless. An cultivator with an exhausted but powerful body was still something. And Ursel tended to find she didn’t tire as fast if she kept her spiritual energy proportionately lesser, surprising enemies with the true power of her attacks.

  “It’s solid,” Ursel said. “Go ahead and push it.”

  They’d already filled up behind the walls with water. The soil was soaked through. Now they were going to increase the pressure. The plan was for it to go the only direction it easily could- upwards, where the pressure would be released around either side of the wall. Then the whole section would fall through.

  If for some reason that failed, it should still collapse anyway if they managed to snap the supports. It would just be less spectacular.

  Ursel watched as Miron led the water pressure increase. They had a few fire cultivators with them as well, the effects amplified. There were just a few small gaps that were being carefully watched.

  Even though everything had been double and triple checked, it was still a tense time. She could see the strain on people’s faces. Even through the soil, she could feel the building spiritual energy. It wouldn’t be long before those up above could feel it too.

  Then she both heard and felt it. A loud thudding sound, cracking. The soil around them trembled, dust rising. There was one particular thud that Ursel thought was a particularly massive section of wall that had been sent up into the air before crashing back down.

  They waited a few moments. Their allies up above should be ready to launch the assault, but they weren’t fighting at the walls. It would be best to time their rise to their allies reaching the city.

  Though Ursel was going to be the first up. She began to claw her way through the earth, creating a sort of ramp and tunnel. It was inelegant, but this one didn’t have to last more than a few minutes. If it collapsed, there were plenty of cultivators who could fix it behind her. She climbed up at an angle, opposite where their sturdy wall had gone. Coming up directly where the walls had been might be best… if there was anything left there. But they had a large empty section that the walls had mostly fallen into, and that didn’t leave much room for a path up.

  Ursel sensed her father shortly before she broke the surface. He was the strongest on the battlefield, though she could give him a solid match. His versatility and rank advantage allowed him to win more often, plus he was far more familiar with her tricks than Abritt had been. He’d also been involved with making the armor that was one of her strongest points- enemies had to work hard just to reach her actual body.

  Needless to say, the defenders were surprised at the ten meter wide hole in their walls. Ursel had almost wanted it to be more, but Miron had mentioned that it would take proportionately more time- which they could have dealt with- but more importantly more pressure than they could provide.

  As her hand reached out of the ground, a darkness cultivator stabbed Ursel . Her weapon deflected off of Ursel’s gauntlet. Ursel leaped up and grabbed the woman. It was unfortunate for her, because darkness cultivators didn’t do well in a grapple. Earth and fire were fine. Water as well. Air generally preferred a bit more distance. Light and darkness were probably the worst, though.

  What were they going to do? Blind her? Restrict her senses?

  All Ursel needed to know was where her own hands were, and what she currently had grabbed. At that point she could tie her enemy into knots or crush them. Her current opponent did a good job of resisting, such that she didn’t immediately die. But her attempts to get away limited her ability to fight back. All she really accomplished was slowing the time it took Ursel to get a good grip on her head before she snapped her neck.

  A couple others thought it was a perfect time to attack Ursel, as she was occupied. They were right to the extent that it was difficult for her to avoid their attacks. They were wrong to think she needed to. Unlike most, Ursel’s spiritual energy barely defended her armor at all. Instead, it was behind it as a second line of defense. Enemies below a certain level of power would never reach her anyway.

  Finally, Ursel was able to admire the team’s work. A huge section of wall gone. Some chunks out in front, a few tossed into the city behind. One of the walls had ripped out a section far beyond the extent of their tunnels, leaving a space wide enough for two or three people to walk through side by side. If they didn’t just jump over the little pond full of wall chunks- or create a bridge over it.

  Either option was far easier than climbing up over ten meters of enchanted wall with people raining down death on you- or trying to batter through it while defending yourself. Instead, the walls had fallen to an attack built up over several minutes by multiple cultivators, which then combined with the fact that there was practically nothing supporting the walls. Enchantments could only hold up so much stone before they gave out.

  Ursel watched as her father fought his way forward, Astrid beside him. If she had been trying to replace their mother… well, she wouldn’t have been successful. But as much as the triplets had needed a mother when they were young, they didn’t need one now. It wasn’t like it was too early. It had already been several decades. They’d lived longer without her than with her.

  And Astrid had accepted a duel, even though she knew she would lose. Though if she didn’t try to win anyway, Ursel was going to be disappointed. That would have to be later, though. They had this whole war thing to deal with first, and people to kick off of their continent.

  Maybe she could do that kicking more literally with that guy she fought on the coast- though they hadn’t been properly able to brawl, as Ursel would have been surrounded by an army if she stayed. She was pretty sure she could beat him, though.

  And Ursel wasn’t going to accept any invaders setting foot on their lands. Nobody would. The days of not being strong enough to stop the Molten Sea were so far in the past, and they would stay buried there where they deserved.