"Well done! You all did great!" Ling Feng laughed loudly and called out, "If those water demons try to come out again, just use the same method and drive them right back in!" Huo Yuanyi and Xu Zhongda answered without hesitation. "Brother Feng, aren't you at all worried they'll just come out in force and fight us head-on?" Mo Feng finally spoke up, unable to hold his question in. The other commanders nearby all pricked up their ears at once. Clearly, they were just as curious. What gave Ling Feng such confidence? Ling Feng chuckled and spread his hands. "Since you all want to know, I'll tell you. The truth is, the entire Blackwater River only hides around forty thousand demons at most. If they really dare come out for a head-on fight, that saves me the trouble." "Only forty thousand?" Many of the commanders exchanged looks of disbelief. Just these few tens of thousands had forced human armies back time and again. "They claim to have a hundred thousand, but in truth it's barely over thirty thousand. I got this straight from that captured assassin." Ling Feng's voice stayed calm. Xu Zhongda gave Ling Feng a big thumbs-up and laughed out loud. "Only you could pull this off, General Ling. We tortured the other two assassins for hours but couldn't get a single word." Ling Feng nodded and went on. "Not only that. I also learned that the demons in this river are waiting for reinforcements. That demon king of the Black Jiao Clan knows full well there's help on the way. There's no chance he'll gamble everything on one desperate fight now." He gestured lightly. If someone is truly cornered, they might risk everything on one charge. But the Black Jiao Demon King knew more demons were coming. There was no way he would throw his tribe away in a reckless battle. So at most, they would keep sending small raids. They could never really break the humans' momentum. A less steady commander might hear shouts and clash of weapons and panic. He would stop the camp work, scatter the formation, and end up with two hundred thousand soldiers chased off by ten thousand. This was nothing new in war. Taking a fortress is second to none. Breaking an enemy's will is best. Ling Feng knew this well. "Brilliant move, General Ling!" The commanders felt their respect deepen. They had thought this was Ling Feng's first time leading an army. Some had worried he might flinch at his first real test. No one expected this young general to have such courage and cunning that even veterans lacked. With a commander , victory would come sooner or later. "But Big Brother, if they don't fight, this is no fun at all!" Jiang Xiaofan scratched his head with a silly grin. He had been sharpening his blade for a good slaughter, only to see the demons flee at a single shout. He felt cheated. Everyone burst out laughing. Ling Feng patted Xiaofan's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry. You'll get your fight in a few days. I promise you won't feel cheated!" "What? Who is this damned human commander?" When Shui Yecha and Hei Bing came crawling back in disgrace, the Black Jiao Demon King trembled all over. The feeling of having his every move seen through made him want to spit blood. "Chief, if it really comes to it, we should just hit them head-on. This is our river. Why should we let them camp on our doorstep?" Shui Yecha's eyes burned with anger. "You're still too green, Shui Yecha." Black Jiao Demon King shook his head with a weary sigh. "Even if we gather our strength and push them back, it'll cost us dearly. By the time the Lin Demon Clan's reinforcements arrive, they'll swoop in to crush the weakened humans and claim all the glory for themselves. Our warriors die for nothing and we gain nothing!" Shui Yecha's face shifted slightly. "Then Chief, are we really going to just watch them build camp here? That leaves us completely exposed." "For now, we have to swallow it. Let them camp all they like. We live underwater. I'd like to see them try and fight us down there." Shui Yecha let out a cold snort. "If they dare come down, they won't come back up." Hei Bing nodded quickly. "Underwater is our home. Let them wait up there all they want. Once the Lin Demon Clan's reinforcements arrive, we strike together. At worst we split the credit." Black Jiao Demon King agreed but a trace of bitterness flashed through his eyes. For a mighty demon king and clan chief to shrink under the water like a turtle was shameful beyond words! But could they really hide away as they hoped? That was wishful thinking. The very next day, their scouts returned with grim news. The human army had gathered eighty thousand earth-attribute soldiers and were building huge earthen barriers upstream and downstream of the Black Jiao Clan's lair. They planned to seal the entire crystal palace inside. This time, the demons really were trapped like fish in a barrel. By the time the elders realized what had happened, the earth walls had grown to hundreds of zhang thick, cutting off the river's flow until the once surging water turned into a stagnant pool. On the third day, while the elders panicked over how to break through, the human army struck again with an even crueler move. Thirty thousand thunder-attribute cultivators, led by Ling Feng and Li Bufan, gathered on both sides of the earthen dams. They channeled thunder energy directly into the Blackwater River. Or rather, what was now the "Blackwater Pool"! The result needed no explanation. As the thunder poured in, arcs of crackling lightning spread through the water. Within moments, the entire pool turned into a giant trap of living currents. The weaker beasts were roasted alive on the spot. Zzzt! Bolts of blue lightning danced underwater like twisting dragons. Any demon too slow to hide was cooked through before they could even scream. One sprinkle of seasoning and they would be ready to eat. The pool had turned into a lightning pit. Panicked "fish" and "crabs" fled to the surface, only to be cut down instantly by the waiting Black-Armored Cavalry above. "Ha! That's the way!" Xu Zhongda and the other commanders roared with laughter. Since the campaign began, they had not lost a single man but had seized total control. They dragged the Black Jiao Clan by the nose every step of the way. As the saying goes, one wrong step leads to another. Under Ling Feng's plan, the demons sank deeper into their trap with every move. Before the real battle even started, they were already bleeding soldiers and losing hope.