PCJ – Chapter 764 The Scientific Combat Model

Zhang Jiaohua was deeply dissatisfied with the way cultivators in the Abandoned Land fought. It seemed that after reaching a certain level of cultivation, they focused solely on improving their individual strength while neglecting teamwork and large-scale coordination. Their battles were nothing but chaotic melees. Zhang Jiaohua decided to change that. He intended to introduce the concept of modern large-scale military operations into cultivator warfare.

Once they began marching toward the Spirit Beast Mountains, they would no longer be facing scattered cultivators, but endless waves of spirit beasts — including powerful, high-ranking ones with terrifying strength.

Zhang Jiaohua also planned to apply tactics inspired by large-scale online games — using equipment and talismans to overwhelm high-level spirit beasts rather than sacrificing lives in vain. Using the intelligent computer he had brought from the human world, he ran tactical simulations and designed simple yet effective coordinated attack models. He then had Wen Xiaoqun lead the Battle Hall in drills to practice them.

The elders of the Law Enforcement Hall scoffed at this plan, finding it absurd. They had already been displeased with the creation of the Battle Hall. In their view, the Meishan Sect’s core fighting force should naturally come from the five great families — Hu, Qi, Fan, Tian, and Zhou — who saw themselves as the sect’s backbone. They wanted greater power within the sect and could not accept Zhang Jiaohua bypassing them. Yet it was precisely because of their behavior that Zhang Jiaohua decided to act entirely according to his own plan.

“Brother Qi, what do you think of the Sect Master’s new Battle Hall?” asked Hu Tengda, head of the Hu family. Since joining the Meishan Sect, he had hoped to secure a powerful position, and simply being a Law Enforcement Hall elder did not satisfy him.

Qi Shengchao, head of the Qi family, smiled. “Sect Master Zhang is far too naïve. He thinks he can offset differences in strength with sheer numbers. But can talismans and spiritual tools truly bridge the gap between cultivation levels? No matter how refined your coordination, in the face of overwhelming power, it’s just a castle in the air. Just wait — once the Sect Master suffers defeat, he’ll realize how important our five families really are. That will be our time to shine. If he wants to achieve his ambitions, he’ll still need to rely on us.”

Fan Zihan, head of the Fan family, looked uneasy. “But I worry — when the Sect Master suffers a heavy defeat, will he take his anger out on us? Even if he doesn’t, he might grow distrustful. I think we should advise him before it’s too late.”

Hu Tengda nodded thoughtfully. “Brother Fan is right. Let’s try to persuade him. Whether he listens or not, that’s on him. When he fails, we’ll have done our duty by advising him. What do you all think?”

“Let’s go with Brother Hu’s plan,” said Zhou Yingtong, head of the Zhou family.

The elders of the Law Enforcement Hall then sought an audience with Zhang Jiaohua to urge him to abandon the Battle Hall and reorganize it with elite disciples from the five families.

“Sect Master,” Hu Tengda began, “the outcome of any battle between cultivators depends entirely on the level of cultivation. When the difference in cultivation is small, external tools may have some effect. But when the difference spans an entire stage, no external object can bridge it. Please, Sect Master, don’t place blind faith in mortal battle formations — they are useless for cultivators.”

Zhang Jiaohua nodded slightly and looked at the other elders. “You all agree?”

“Elder Hu speaks wisely,” Fan Zihan said. “We hope the Sect Master will reconsider.”

The other elders nodded in agreement.

“I understand your opinions,” Zhang Jiaohua said calmly. “I’ll consider them carefully. But I believe that practice is the only test of truth. Whether the Battle Hall’s methods work or not — we’ll see soon enough. However, I think you elders should first focus on your own duties. I assigned the mining and exploration tasks long ago — only Wen Xiaoqun and Elder Yuan have fulfilled them properly. The disciples from your families have been careless and uncommitted. As Law Enforcement Hall elders, don’t you think it’s your responsibility to ensure that the Sect Master’s orders are carried out?”

He paused, his voice hardening. “You all seek greater power within the sect — that’s fine. But power and responsibility are equal. Only those who fulfill their duties are qualified to enjoy authority. That’s all for now. As for the Battle Hall, I’ll handle it myself. Remember one thing — in the Meishan Sect, what I say goes!”

Zhang Jiaohua’s tone left no room for argument. His overwhelming aura, far above that of the elders, silenced them instantly. When he spoke, they didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. Only after he left did they exchange bitter smiles.

“Brother Qi, Brother Fan, Daoist Tian, Brother Zhou — I’m starting to regret joining the Meishan Sect,” Hu Tengda muttered. “But for now, we’ll just have to take things one step at a time.”

“What about the mining work?” Zhou Yingtong asked.

“It’s ongoing,” Hu Tengda replied vaguely. “The Abandoned Land is vast — we haven’t found much yet, and mining progress is… a bit slow.”
It was clear he intended to keep coasting along.

After dismissing the elders, Zhang Jiaohua went straight to the Battle Hall. It was located in a huge valley nearby, where Zhang had personally marked out positions on the ground according to the optimized formation patterns simulated by his intelligent computer. Cultivators with different elemental attributes stood in corresponding spots.

Combat was divided into several scales — small team battles, small-unit formations, medium-scale formations, and large-scale operations. Each mode had specialized unit configurations: ranged and melee divisions, spellcasters and physical attackers — all carefully classified. Every combat team was optimized for specific battle scenarios, ensuring the best possible coordination.

At first, this system left Wen Xiaoqun’s cultivators completely bewildered. They were confused and disoriented — even Wen himself sometimes wondered if Zhang Jiaohua’s approach was too whimsical, as it completely overturned everything they had ever known about combat.

But Zhang Jiaohua was firm: anyone who followed orders could stay; anyone who didn’t could leave. In the Battle Hall, obedience mattered more than cultivation.

He used the strict, regimented training methods he’d learned from military systems — molding the cultivators into disciplined soldiers who could execute commands precisely. When he finally distributed the refined equipment among them, the small-unit tactics began to show their true power.

Half a year passed quietly. The Battle Hall’s numbers dropped from several thousand to fewer than a thousand. Those who remained were not necessarily the strongest — but they were absolutely obedient to Zhang Jiaohua. Under his guidance, their cultivation advanced rapidly, and with precise coordination, their collective combat power became astonishing.

“ Sect Master,” Wen Xiaoqun asked, “should we start recruiting again to expand the Battle Hall?”

“Quality over quantity,” Zhang Jiaohua said firmly. “Better few but elite. Our next step is to make the Battle Hall a true combat force. Tomorrow, we head to the outskirts of the Spirit Beast Mountains. Without experiencing real battle, they’ll never become true warrior cultivators.”

As he spoke, Zhang Jiaohua pointed toward the distant range of the Spirit Beast Mountains.