Chapter 573 Grasping the Essentials

The human realm invests very little in defense, unlike the demon realm.A ring-shaped defensive line stretches for thousands of miles, layer upon layer, encircling the entire realm. These rings are tightly connected by energy sources, allowing for immediate response to any anomalies.And the human realm?Vast and open.You can come if you want.But at the same time, I can leave as easily.The human realm's war strategy can be summarized in four words—human-centered.Defense?Defense what?As long as people are alive, home is home!If the enemy is too strong and penetrates into the human realm, then we'll leave, we'll all rush into your home.These days, earth elementals are plentiful; building cities and towers is as simple as eating and drinking.Humans are extremely adaptable; they can survive on a different piece of land.Therefore, humanity invests all its resources in itself.Actually, Li An also knew of another explanation.Not rich enough.If they had so much money they didn't know what to do with it, what's wrong with building a defensive line that surrounds the entire realm?Resources are limited, so ultimately the decision from above prioritizes cultivating human strength, not building a defensive line.Therefore, for the human realm, how to utilize people is of paramount importance.Other realms rely on formations and technology.The human realm relies on people.This reminded Li An of the time in the elevator when he told Meng Chen he wanted to hire an artificial intelligence, but Meng Chen said that no one was good enough.Thinking about this, Li An suddenly looked up and saw a book on a bookshelf not far away, with only two words: "Humanity."Humans possess self-awareness, which represents strong flexibility and malleability.Mortal warriors without realms don't need independent thought; they only need to fight like machines, obeying orders.Because a good commander-in-chief can see everything.But the wars of cultivators are elite-based.Where is there a massive army pressing in?A hundred or so experts at the Upper Ninth Realm are already terrifying.If these hundreds of powerful cultivators at the ninth realm were all mindless robots, could they possibly defeat agile and adaptable humans?Li An, once a lead attacker, discovered a crucial problem.By the time the strategist's order reached the soldiers' ears, the battlefield situation had already changed.It takes time for a sentence to be spoken, heard, and reacted to.This time often exceeds the time it takes for cultivators to adapt their tactics.Cultivator warfare is truly ever-changing; both movement and spellcasting speeds are incredibly fast.Furthermore, the battlefield is dazzling, with various laws flying everywhere and visual effects everywhere. A strategist standing above the battlefield can hardly see what is truly happening.Moreover, powerful military commanders are adept at severing the connection between strategists and soldiers.Therefore, in the battles Li An personally experienced,many times, battlefield decisions were made on the spot, adapting to the situation. Waiting for further orders could mean certain death.Li An understood.From a young age, he knew a saying.Meng Chen had repeatedly said it before.A strategist's job is many, but it boils down to one thing: "Put the right people in the right place at the right time."Only today, after truly delving into this field, did Li An understand its secrets.A strategist's full title is Battlefield Strategy Master, not Military Advisor.Because all we provide is strategy!A winning strategy!We are not commanders!On the battlefield of cultivators, the ever-changing situation doesn't allow someone standing a thousand miles away to command.The battle must be left to the soldiers themselves.Knowing their abilities and believing in them—that's what it means to have the right people.A strategist must understand what kind of soldiers they command.He vividly remembered a strategist from his war zone saying something.At the time, Li An found that statement utterly repulsive."What's there for me to command?""Let our main attackers adapt to the situation and win; why should I speak?"Li An was that main attacker.At the time, he didn't understand and thought this guy was incredibly despicable.He did nothing but delegate everything to him.But now, he realizes that's exactly what a strategist's job is.He was the one in the right place.If the guy talked too much and gave too many orders, it might actually make things worse.Everyone's goal is always the same—victory.If victory requires me to keep quiet, then I'll keep quiet; that's a strategy too.This is no joke.These days, military merit is valuable.A strategist who doesn't issue any orders will only get a basic salary and won't be respected by his colleagues.Because justice resides in the hearts of the people.On the battlefield, from officers to soldiers, everyone wants to perform and earn recognition.In this situation, being able to remain quiet, not greedy for credit, and not care about being disliked is a skill in itself.At least that's how Ang Lee thinks now.It's true, many things we couldn't understand as children gradually become clear as we grow up.Meng Chen had just told him that a strategist's job is to identify problems.Now, Li An was gradually understanding the meaning of that statement.So many military books, should he read them all?Of course, more skills are never a burden.But that wasn't the key.Li An took out three books.*Human Nature*—How to find the right people.*Battlefield Theory*—How to choose the right location.*Strategy of Warfare*—How to choose the right time.At the top level.Mu Yixin, the chief strategist of the human realm, was observing an entry-level assessment.The examiner's name was—Li Shaoshu.The examiner was another senior strategist.Many people around were observing this promising young man, Li Wuce, and studying his thoughts.A strategist's combat strategies can reflect their way of thinking.This entry-level assessment, in essence, was trying to see those three points.Has he truly grasped the meaning of that statement?And if he has, can he put it into practice?Many people can do the first point; the difficulty lies in the second.Practice and fantasy are always worlds apart.After entering the assessment space, Li Shaoshu's first action was to gather all the information on his opponents and study it.Know yourself and know your enemy.This is crucial, but it's not among the three core principles; it's ranked a little lower.Therefore, after exchanging glances, the experts present all showed expressions of pessimism.At this moment, Chief Mu Yixin suddenly displayed a camera feed.Everyone looked up.They saw Li An directly find the three most important books and sit down among a pile of military treatises, studying them intently.Everyone nodded, their faces showing delight.Some even secretly transmitted their thoughts."It's still the ancestor's dream; this comprehension is undeniable.""What kind of child can that scoundrel Li Wuce raise?""I think we should send him back to study for another three years? His comprehension doesn't seem very high."Unexpectedly...What Li Shaoshu did next stunned the examiners.His core skill for changing jobs was control.He could connect to the minds of others and communicate instantly.But even so, the time from communication to reaction to action was still considerable.What did Li Shaoshu do?He connected to the minds of all his soldiers and directly occupied their mental world.A total of five hundred soldiers.He managed to do five hundred things at once.The examiners exchanged bewildered glances.What was this?Could this method really be put into practice?