In the Eternal Night realm, "tower stealing" had long been a well-known tactic. But the Eternal World had only just begun to encounter this kind of warfare; their thinking was far from fully adapted. The possibility that they would anticipate such a tactic was extremely low. Under these circumstances, there was a high chance of deciding the battle in one stroke—utterly crushing the prodigies of the Eternal Continent, seizing their fortune, and eliminating a large number of Eternal prodigies.
It could wipe out nearly half of the younger generation's core strength.That was the ultimate reward.
"I'll take on the task of holding the tower and stalling the Eternal prodigies," said the Skeletal Dragon Knight.
"Good. We have only three thousand troops. This stealth assault must strike true with one blow. I'll take two thousand, leaving only a thousand behind to hold off the Eternal side's offensive. It would be best to lay down an illusory formation to confuse them about our actual numbers. That could buy us some extra time. By the time they realize what's happening, it will already be too late."
The Mindflayer Strategist spoke after a brief pause.
The key was preventing the enemy from retreating to defend their high ground.
The strategist was confident that the Eternal prodigies wouldn't dare traverse the Wilderness Zone, where danger lurked at every moment for newcomers. The wilderness housed Four Great Direbeasts, and these weren't beasts that stayed in fixed territories—they roamed constantly. If encountered without preparation, the casualties would be immense.
Then there was the Sky-Piercing River, a treacherous natural barrier.Its devouring current was strong enough to pull in powerful cultivators and leave them with no remains. Without great wisdom or formidable strength, crossing it was nearly impossible. Even the Eternal Night realm had suffered repeated total annihilations before figuring out a viable method. The strategist simply didn't believe that the Eternal prodigies could cross it on their first attempt. And even if they did, a hefty death toll would be inevitable.
This was a major advantage for the Eternal Night side: they had a method to cross the river safely.
"Heh, by the time we've reached their high ground and smashed their crystal, the Eternal prodigies will be left completely baffled," the Jester chuckled.
"Let's move," the strategist ordered.
Under the command of the Mindflayer Strategist, the Eternal Night forces swiftly split into two groups: one with a thousand troops heading for the Three Paths of Life and Death, and a second group of two thousand plunging into the wilderness.
The Mindflayer himself remained in front of the Crystal Tower, unmoving.
"If the Eternal prodigies turn out to be more powerful than we anticipated and manage to force their way up the Paths of Life and Death or disrupt the stealth team's attack… then this high ground will be our final line of defense," he thought, his eyes flashing coldly.
As a strategist, one must calculate not only for victory but for the possibility of failure. One must always keep a fallback option in hand. He was that final safeguard. If things went south, he would still have a chance to reverse the situation.
Of course, he hoped it wouldn't come to that—if it did, it would mean the Eternal Night had already lost the upper hand.
At that moment, the Stone Emperor and the other prodigies had gathered beneath their defensive tower. Through the Skybridge, they looked toward the opposite side, where the towering structure of the enemy's defense tower stood prominently.
The tower was several dozen feet tall, crowned with a massive crystal core. The crystal on the opposing tower gleamed with golden light, sharp and dazzling, looking ready to slice through space at any moment.
"What now? How do we break through that defense tower? Unless it's destroyed, we can't cross the Path of Life and Death."
"Exactly. The tower is the key. Based on what we know, its attack range covers about a hundred feet in all directions. The moment we get close, it will engage. But its core is that golden crystal. Destroy that, and the tower collapses—even if the structure remains, it'll be useless."
A Foxkin prodigy voiced his analysis.
"All right. Watch this. My Frost Werewolf's throwing spears are second to none! I'll smash that crystal!"
One of the Frost Werewolf prodigies stepped forward confidently.
He strode ahead, drawing a spear from his back. The weapon radiated a chilling cold, lowering the air temperature dramatically.
"Break!"
Muscles bulging with explosive power, he twisted his body like a drawn bow and hurled the spear with all his might.
A brilliant flash streaked through the air, filled with the power to freeze and pierce everything. A trail of frost followed it through the sky.
CRACK!!
His strike was fast, but the tower reacted just as quickly. The crystal core erupted with golden divine light. A golden blade shot out like lightning to intercept the spear.
BOOM!!
The ice spear collided with the golden blade, releasing a shockwave of energy. The first blade shattered under the cold energy—but immediately, two more golden blades followed.
The second and third blades cleaved the spear apart before it could even get close to the crystal.
"What terrifying offensive power! That tower's force rivals a top-tier Life Diagram Realm cultivator. Trying to brute-force our way through will be extremely difficult. Its attacks are relentless."
The Frost Werewolf's face darkened. His full-strength throw hadn't even grazed the crystal.
"We'll need to attack together. Multiple cultivators must strike at once. There will be losses, maybe even deaths, but for victory, anything can be sacrificed. Everyone, charge!" the Stone Emperor declared. "I'll take point. Let's destroy that tower!"
With a shout, he surged forward, wrapped in mysterious earthen-yellow light, stepping boldly into the tower's attack range.
SWOOSH!!
A golden blade came down from the tower, aiming straight for his head.
CLANG!!
A shocking scene played out.The blade struck the Stone Emperor's skull—and shattered.
Golden sparks flew. The blade couldn't even cut his flesh.
"What a monstrous body! No wonder they say the Sacred Spirit Race is born from stone itself!"
"Charge! Bring it down!"
Inspired, the rest of the prodigies surged forward.
"Wait! Look at the ground!"
"What is this? Grass? Where did this come from?! No—someone got pulled under!"
Just as they stepped into the tower's territory, the ground transformed. Dense green grass had sprung up without anyone noticing. These were no ordinary plants. Their serrated edges sliced through the air like sickles, wildly slashing and tearing at anything nearby.
A few prodigies were instantly pulled under, shredded to pieces.
"You want to break the tower? Not on our watch. Enter the tower's range—and die!"
"Let them taste the power of the Demon Grass Clan!"
A green-skinned Eternal Night prodigy cackled beneath the tower.
His Life Diagram – Endless Demon Grass erupted.
These vicious plants were dense and unrelenting, instantly covering the entire battlefield around the tower.
"Demon grass? Then taste my flames!"
"Life Diagram – Fire Crow Burns the Heavens!!"
A Crow Spirit Clan prodigy let out a raspy cry as a flaming divine tree manifested behind him...