The gates of Azure Dragon Fortress swallowed the delegation whole.
Wang Ben passed beneath walls that rose thirty meters overhead, their surfaces bearing the scars of attacks that had tested their defenses and found them barely adequate. The stonework showed signs of repeated repair, newer sections interspersed with ancient construction in a patchwork that spoke to centuries of conflict and reconstruction.
[FORTRESS ENTRY ANALYSIS]
[Wall thickness: Approximately 8 meters at base, tapering to 4 meters at battlements]
[Formation array density: High. Multiple overlapping defensive systems detected]
[Current status: Functional but stressed. Several array nodes showing degradation signatures]
[Note: Initial assessment suggests infrastructure maintenance is significantly behind schedule]
Inside the walls, the fortress revealed itself as a city unto itself. Thousands of cultivators moved through organized chaos, their activities ranging from patrol formations to supply management to the constant work of maintaining a military installation under siege. The noise was overwhelming: shouted commands, equipment movement, the constant hum of active formation arrays.
"Formation delegation, this way." A military adjutant appeared, his core formation cultivation marking him as senior enough to handle incoming formation masters. "You're expected. Commander Feng Zhaoyang will brief you personally."
Elder Wang Hongwei exchanged glances with Wang Ben before following the adjutant. Being received by the fortress commander himself was unusual for a formation support team, suggesting that the situation was either better or worse than the initial reports had indicated.
Wang Ben suspected worse.
The command center occupied a position near the fortress's heart, protected by layers of defensive arrays and thick walls that would withstand anything short of a concentrated assault by mortal shedding cultivators.
Commander Feng Zhaoyang waited within, his presence filling the room with the weight of mid-stage mortal shedding cultivation. He was older than Wang Ben had expected, his face weathered by what must have been centuries of military service, but his eyes held a sharpness that age hadn't dulled.
[ASSESSMENT: Commander Feng Zhaoyang]
[Cultivation: mortal shedding class (precise assessment limited by cultivation gap)]
[Estimated age: 2,000-2,500 years (within mortal shedding lifespan parameters)]
[Demeanor: Composed but stressed. Underlying tension in posture and expression]
[Note: This is a commander who has seen too many problems and not enough solutions]
"The Wang Clan delegation." Feng Zhaoyang's voice was the controlled boom of someone accustomed to being heard over battle noise. "I've reviewed your clan's reputation. Your grandfather built several of the arrays that still protect this fortress, young master Wang Ben. I hope you've inherited his skill."
"I'll do my best to honor his legacy, Commander." Wang Ben kept his response formal, appropriate for addressing someone of Feng Zhaoyang's rank and cultivation.
"Your best may not be enough." The commander's bluntness cut through pleasantries. "Let me be direct. The official reports you've received understate our situation significantly. I requested your delegation specifically because I need formation masters who can work independently and creatively, not just follow established protocols."
Elder Wang Hongwei stepped forward. "What exactly is the situation, Commander?"
Feng Zhaoyang gestured to a tactical display that dominated one wall of the command center. The formation showed the fortress's defensive arrays in schematic form, and Wang Ben felt his stomach tighten as he processed what he saw.
Nearly a quarter of the array nodes were marked with warning indicators. Some showed yellow, signifying degradation. Others showed red, marking systems that were operating at reduced capacity or had failed entirely.
[TACTICAL DISPLAY ANALYSIS]
[Total array nodes: 847]
[Fully functional: 623 (73.5%)]
[Degraded performance: 156 (18.4%)]
[Failed or critical: 68 (8.0%)]
[Current defensive capability: Approximately 71% of designed specifications]
[Elemental composition: Mixed (Fire 31%, Earth 28%, Metal 24%, Other 17%)]
[Critical shortage: Metal-element nodes at 34% capacity]
[Trend: Continuing degradation. Without intervention, critical failure within 3-5 months]
"The enemy has adapted their tactics," Feng Zhaoyang explained. "They've stopped trying to breach the walls through direct assault. Instead, they target our formation infrastructure systematically. Small strike teams, precision attacks on vulnerable nodes, then withdrawal before we can respond in force."
"They're bleeding us slowly," Elder Wang Hongwei observed.
"Exactly. Every node they damage requires resources to repair. Every repair pulls personnel from other duties. Every gap in coverage invites another attack." The commander's frustration was evident despite his professional composure. "We're losing this war of attrition."
"The supply situation compounds everything." Feng Zhaoyang's jaw tightened. "We're critically short on Metal-element spirit stones for the western arrays. Fire stones we have plenty. Blazing Sun supplies those through the trade agreements. But Metal deposits are controlled by domains that won't prioritize frontier fortresses over their own needs."
Wang Ben studied the tactical display, his mind already analyzing patterns in the damage distribution.
[PATTERN ANALYSIS: Enemy attack distribution]
[Concentration areas: Western wall (34%), Northern approaches (28%), Supply route junctions (22%)]
[Attack timing: Predominantly pre-dawn and post-dusk (low visibility periods)]
[Target selection: Prioritizes nodes with highest repair difficulty]
[Assessment: Enemy has detailed intelligence on fortress infrastructure. Possibly internal source]
"The attack pattern suggests they know exactly which nodes to target," Wang Ben said, the observation escaping before he fully considered the implications of speaking out of turn.
Feng Zhaoyang's eyes fixed on him with sudden intensity. "Explain."
"The damage isn't random." Wang Ben gestured toward the display, aware that everyone in the room was now watching him. "They're targeting nodes that create cascading effects when they fail. Nodes whose repair requires rare materials or extended downtime. Nodes that form chokepoints in our defensive network. That level of precision requires specific knowledge of our array architecture."
The silence that followed was heavy with implications.
"You're suggesting we have a spy." Feng Zhaoyang's voice was flat.
"I'm suggesting the enemy has detailed information about our defensive infrastructure." Wang Ben chose his words carefully. "How they obtained it isn't for me to speculate."
Elder Wang Hongwei placed a steadying hand on Wang Ben's shoulder, but his expression showed approval rather than concern. "Young Master Wang Ben has an exceptional eye for pattern recognition, Commander. His observations are worth considering."
Feng Zhaoyang studied Wang Ben for a long moment, his mortal shedding cultivation brushing against Wang Ben's senses like a wave of pressure.
"How old are you, young master?"
"Seventeen, Commander."
"Seventeen." The commander's laugh was short and without humor. "A seventeen-year-old qi condensation cultivator sees what my intelligence staff missed for months. Either you're extraordinarily talented or we're in worse shape than I thought."
"Perhaps both, Commander."
Another long pause. Then Feng Zhaoyang nodded slowly.
"I think I'm going to like working with you, young master Wang Ben. Elder Wang Hongwei, I'm assigning your delegation to the infrastructure restoration effort, but I want young master Wang Ben attached to my tactical analysis team as a consultant. His perspective may prove valuable."
Elder Wang Hongwei bowed formally. "As you command, Commander Feng."
The tour that followed showed Wang Ben the reality behind the tactical display's warnings.
A formation master assigned to escort the delegation led them through the fortress's damaged sections, pointing out infrastructure that required attention. Wang Ben found himself cataloging problems with each step, the System providing detailed analysis of issues that the escort only touched on superficially.
"This node cluster failed three weeks ago." The formation master, a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator named Zhang Wei, gestured toward a section of wall where the defensive array had clearly been damaged. "We've restored basic function, but the repair was rushed. It's operating at maybe sixty percent of designed capacity."
[NODE CLUSTER ANALYSIS]
[Location: Western wall, sector 7]
[Damage type: Cascading failure following targeted strike]
[Current efficiency: 58.3% (escort estimate accurate)]
[Repair quality: Adequate for emergency use, not sustainable long-term]
[Recommended action: Complete rebuild using reinforced materials and improved node geometry]
Wang Ben studied the repair work, noting the signs of haste that Zhang Wei had mentioned. The formation chalk was standard grade, not reinforced. The node geometry followed traditional patterns that were less efficient than optimized alternatives. The work was competent but uninspired.
"Who performed the repair?" Wang Ben asked.
"I did, along with two others from the formation corps." Zhang Wei's voice carried a note of defensiveness. "We had less than a day before the next expected assault. There wasn't time for elegance."
"I'm not criticizing. I'm trying to understand the constraints you work under." Wang Ben ran his fingers along the repair boundary, feeling the residual energy patterns. "With the materials available and the time allowed, you did excellent work. But if we had reinforced compounds and an additional day, we could improve this significantly."
Zhang Wei's defensiveness shifted to cautious interest. "You brought reinforced compounds?"
"A case. The merchant who supplied them mentioned that fortress conditions degrade standard materials faster than normal use."
"He wasn't wrong." Zhang Wei exchanged glances with Elder Wang Hongwei. "If you could share those compounds, we might be able to address some of the worst degradation before it becomes critical."
"That's why we're here." Elder Wang Hongwei's voice was measured. "To provide support, not to criticize the work you've done under impossible conditions."
They continued the tour, passing through sections of the fortress that showed varying degrees of damage and repair. Some areas had been restored to near-original condition. Others bore wounds that hadn't healed, their defensive arrays flickering with the uncertainty of systems pushed beyond their design limits.
By the time the tour concluded, Wang Ben had identified seventeen priority areas where focused intervention could significantly improve the fortress's defensive capability.
[TOUR SUMMARY: Priority areas identified]
[Critical: 4 locations (immediate risk of cascade failure)]
[High priority: 7 locations (significant degradation affecting adjacent systems)]
[Medium priority: 6 locations (reduced performance but stable)]
[Estimated repair time for critical areas: 8-12 days with full resource allocation]
[Note: Current formation corps staffing insufficient for simultaneous repairs. Prioritization essential]
The quarters assigned to the delegation were functional rather than comfortable, but after days of travel, Wang Ben found the simple bed and private space more than adequate.
Zhao Yu had been assigned to a barracks section reserved for support personnel, close enough to respond if Wang Ben needed him but separate enough to maintain the fiction of him being a simple attendant rather than personal security.
Wang Ben used the evening to process what he had learned, the System helping him organize the flood of information into coherent patterns.
[FORTRESS SITUATION SUMMARY]
[Defensive capability: Critically degraded]
[Enemy strategy: Systematic infrastructure attrition]
[Intelligence assessment: Enemy possesses detailed knowledge of defensive arrays]
[Political implications: Fortress command may be reluctant to acknowledge potential security breach]
[Host position: Tactical consultant to Commander Feng Zhaoyang]
[Opportunity assessment: Position provides access to strategic information and decision-making processes]
The assignment to the tactical analysis team was unexpected but valuable. It would give Wang Ben access to information that a simple formation repair technician would never see, and it would allow him to influence decisions in ways that might improve the fortress's chances of survival.
But it also increased his visibility. Every observation he made, every pattern he identified, would draw attention to capabilities that his qi condensation cultivation shouldn't support.
He would have to be careful.
That night, Wang Ben's cultivation practice was interrupted by a sensation he hadn't expected.
He had been running through the Scripture's efficiency exercises when his qi circulation suddenly accelerated, the spiritual energy within his meridians reaching a density that signaled the approach of breakthrough.
[ALERT: Cultivation threshold approaching]
[Current status: Qi Condensation Stage 3 (late stabilization)]
[Progression to Stage 4: 97.8% complete]
[Estimated time to breakthrough: 2-4 hours if cultivation continues]
[Recommendation: Complete breakthrough. Continued suppression risks meridian strain]
The timing was poor but unavoidable. Wang Ben had been holding back his advancement for months, maintaining the careful pace that avoided drawing attention to his accelerated cultivation. But the stress of the journey, the intensity of his observations, and the constant efficiency advantage of Scripture cultivation had pushed him to the edge.
He couldn't suppress it much longer without risking damage.
Wang Ben sealed the room's privacy formations and settled into deeper meditation, allowing the cultivation process to proceed naturally.
The breakthrough came like a wave breaking against stone. Spiritual energy compressed within his dantian, his meridians expanding to accommodate the increased density, his foundation strengthening with each cycle of refined qi.
[BREAKTHROUGH CONFIRMED: Qi Condensation Stage 4]
[Meridian capacity: Increased by 8.4%]
[Qi density: Enhanced to Stage 4 specifications]
[Combat effectiveness: Estimated 15-20% improvement]
[Current cultivation efficiency: 5.7%]
[Scripture integration: Active]
[Efficiency progression since journey: 3.4% → 5.7%]
[Note: First milestone threshold (10%) estimated within weeks at current rate. Breakthrough completed cleanly. No unusual phenomena detected. External observers unlikely to notice advancement without direct assessment]
Wang Ben opened his eyes, feeling the new strength settling into his body. He was mid-stage qi condensation now, still far below the cultivation levels of anyone significant in the fortress hierarchy, but measurably stronger than he had been that morning.
The advancement would help. Every increment of strength was an advantage in an environment where survival might depend on moments of combat effectiveness.
But it also raised new questions about how long he could maintain the careful concealment of his true capabilities.
The next morning brought his first assignment with the tactical analysis team.
The team occupied a chamber adjacent to the command center, filled with maps, reports, and cultivators whose jobs involved understanding the enemy's movements rather than fighting them directly. Most were foundation establishment or early core formation, experienced analysts who had spent years studying the patterns of the Frozen Jade Kingdom's military strategy.
Wang Ben was by far the youngest and lowest-cultivation member of the team.
"Young Master Wang Ben." The team leader, a woman named Captain Liu Yanran, greeted him with professional neutrality. "The commander has assigned you to work with us on pattern analysis. I understand you made some observations about enemy targeting that caught his attention."
"I noticed some correlations in the attack distribution." Wang Ben kept his tone humble. "I'm sure your team has already identified similar patterns."
"We have theories." Captain Liu's expression suggested those theories hadn't proven particularly useful. "But fresh eyes sometimes see what familiarity obscures. Tell me what you observed."
Wang Ben spent the morning walking through his analysis, showing the team the patterns he had identified in the damage distribution. The System provided continuous support, highlighting correlations and suggesting implications that his conscious mind might have missed.
[ANALYSIS SUPPORT: Active]
[Correlations identified: 47 significant patterns]
[Enemy behavioral predictions: 12 high-confidence projections]
[Recommended priorities: Western wall node cluster, supply route junction 7, northern approach chokepoint]
By midday, the team's professional skepticism had shifted to something closer to grudging respect.
"Your pattern recognition is exceptional," Captain Liu acknowledged. "Some of these correlations we hadn't considered. The question is what we do with the information."
"We use it to predict where they'll strike next." Wang Ben highlighted the three priority areas he had identified. "If I'm right, these locations are their most likely targets over the next few weeks. We could strengthen defenses at these points specifically rather than spreading resources across the entire fortress."
"That requires reallocating forces from other areas."
"It does. But if we try to defend everything equally, we'll successfully defend nothing." Wang Ben met Captain Liu's eyes directly. "The enemy knows that. They're counting on us to spread ourselves too thin."
The captain was quiet for a long moment.
"I'll recommend your analysis to the commander," she said finally. "Whether he acts on it is above my authority. But you've given us something concrete to work with, young master Wang Ben. That's more than most fresh arrivals provide."
It was not praise exactly, but it was acknowledgment.
Wang Ben had found his place in the fortress's machinery. Now he needed to use that place to make a difference.
That evening, Zhao Yu found him on one of the fortress's observation platforms, looking out over the defensive line toward the distant shadows of enemy territory.
"You've had quite a first day." Zhao Yu's voice was quiet, pitched not to carry beyond their immediate surroundings. "Word travels fast in the fortress. Especially about the young master who impressed Commander Feng."
"I noticed patterns they'd missed." Wang Ben kept his gaze on the horizon, where the last light of sunset painted the mountains in shades of orange and red. "Anyone could have done it."
"But no one did. Until you."
Wang Ben didn't respond. The observation was accurate, but dwelling on it served no purpose.
"The fortress is in worse shape than the reports suggested," he said instead. "The infrastructure is degrading faster than they can repair it. If the pattern continues, they'll lose defensive capability at an accelerating rate."
"Can you fix it?"
"Some of it. Not all." Wang Ben turned to face his friend. "The real problem isn't the damage. It's that they're playing defense against an enemy who's dictating the terms of engagement. Every time they repair something, the enemy targets something else. It's unsustainable."
Zhao Yu's Battle Soul instincts seemed to process the strategic assessment, translating it into terms his combat-focused mind could understand. "You need to go on offense."
"The fortress can't go on offense. It's designed to hold ground, not take it. But..." Wang Ben trailed off, an idea forming that he wasn't ready to articulate.
"But?"
"Nothing. Not yet. I need more information before I can think clearly about alternatives."
They stood in silence for a while, watching the darkness settle over a landscape that had seen centuries of conflict. Somewhere out there, the Frozen Jade Kingdom's forces were preparing for their next assault, planning which node to target, which piece of the fortress's infrastructure to damage next.
And somewhere in the fortress, or perhaps beyond it, a source was providing them with the information they needed to make those decisions precisely.
"Stay alert," Wang Ben said finally. "We're in enemy territory now, even behind these walls."
"Always." Zhao Yu's hand rested on his sword, the gesture unconscious and automatic. "Whatever you need, I'm here."
It was a simple statement, but it carried the weight of all the debt and loyalty that bound them together.
Wang Ben turned back to his quarters, his mind already working on the problems that the fortress presented. He was mid-stage qi condensation now, still far below the powers that controlled this battlefield. But cultivation wasn't the only form of strength.
Knowledge was power. Pattern recognition was power. The ability to see what others missed and act on that understanding was power.
He would find a way to use those powers to make a difference here. Not because obligation demanded it, but because the alternative was watching the fortress fall while standing by with advantages he refused to employ.
The war awaited. And Wang Ben intended to fight it on his own terms.
END OF CHAPTER 98