My Longevity Simulation

Chapter 1291: Lingering Remnant Soul Hidden Within Residual Will

The intent transmitted by the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao was not entirely clear, but the Holy Emperor Li Ping had already roughly understood what it wanted to convey.

“The position of Great Celestial Venerable…”

“It may lose its connection with me?”

Li Ping frowned and could not help but fall into deep thought.

“For several thousand years, there has not been a new Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable appointed, yet it happens precisely at this moment… who could it be?” The Holy Emperor sensed the faint scent of conspiracy. At present, he could only monitor a small portion of the Xuanhuang Realm, while the vast majority remained blind spots. One face after another flashed rapidly through his mind, yet he could not identify any truly suspicious target.

“Though in theory, anyone capable of passing the Great Celestial Venerable trial should stand on my side and face the Immortal Ancestor together, but…”

While soothing the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, the Holy Emperor’s gaze turned resolute.

“It seems the plan must be moved forward.”

“As long as I can force out the Immortal Ancestor when the Star Sea anomaly arrives, that will be enough.”

A streak of starlight flew out from the Holy Emperor’s throne.

The long-prepared war machine of the Holy Dynasty Great Qi began operating at full speed.

Sun Erlang, who was conducting the final tests on the defensive capabilities of the Holy Army puppets, was somewhat surprised upon receiving the Holy Emperor’s decree. But when he looked at the endless puppet formations arranged across the testing grounds like a field of stars, he quickly became excited and eager.

“Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a single moment. It is time for the decayed Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to witness the elite forces of the great Holy Dynasty!”

Just as he was about to leave to handle the expedition preparations, Sun Erlang seemed to remember something and flashed to the deepest underground section of the testing grounds.

Surging earth vein power flowed there, dense enough to seem almost tangible. It appeared to be continuously hammered and compressed by some immense force. What had originally been earthy yellow had now become magma-like crimson. The earth veins roared like torrents, crashing repeatedly against a black stubborn stone at the center.

No matter how violently the earth vein power raged, the stubborn stone stood firm and unmoving. In fact, with every strike from the crimson earth veins, the luster on its surface only grew brighter.

Above the black stubborn stone, a beam of starlight descended from a constantly rotating vortex of starry sky, shining directly onto it.

Under the illumination of the starlight, the black stone seemed almost to breathe. With each inhalation and exhalation, tiny specks of starlight were drawn into it.

Master Qiao Gong floated in midair nearby, staring intently at the black stubborn stone within this strange phenomenon. He also seemed to be constantly calculating something, adjusting and controlling the ratio between the input earth vein power and starlight.

“Senior Qiao Gong, the great battle may begin earlier than expected. Senior Tianyang, he…”

Qiao Gong had apparently already received the decree as well. Without taking his eyes off Tianyang’s body, he said calmly, “Do not worry. When the time comes, I will definitely give the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance a tremendous surprise. Those bastards swallowed quite a bit of my source power in previous years…”

“Right. Since a great battle is coming, those from the Heavenly Spirit Sect can also be put to wasteful use.”

Qiao Gong slapped his forehead, then after reporting to the Holy Emperor with closed eyes, sent out another command transmission that drifted toward the puppets in Nine Mountains Prefecture.

A trace of pride flashed in his eyes, and his attention returned to Tianyang, who was undergoing dual tempering from the surging earth veins and the power of the star sea.

Qiao Gong could clearly sense the immense power being nurtured within that black stubborn stone.

His body trembled slightly, and madness flashed in his eyes.

“This puppet is the pinnacle of my refining skill. Even in the old Heavenly Mechanism Realm, absolutely no one could surpass it. Shangguan, watch carefully. The disciple you once ignored will completely surpass you…”

Ignoring Sun Erlang, who was still present, Qiao Gong muttered to himself while continuously casting spell seals onto Tianyang’s body.

Seeing this, Sun Erlang wisely withdrew in silence.

While the armies and citizens of Great Qi hurriedly prepared for war, two people within the Holy Dynasty were already completely at ease as they left the small world and returned to the Xuanhuang Realm. R̃аŊỔВË𝙨

They were Xu Ke and Yin Shangren.

Yin Shangren narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sky, seemingly somewhat unaccustomed to the sunlight of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Xu Ke, meanwhile, was determining direction.

Before the great battle began, they intended to infiltrate the Divine Treasure Museum Hall first.

“This Emperor Sanmo is rather interesting. Clearly one of the Three Beast Emperors, yet he joined a human cultivation sect. And when disaster struck, he immediately defected and joined the Newly New Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance…” Yin Shangren said with a cold sneer.

Xu Ke shook his head in explanation.

“Grandfather San is mysterious and unfathomable. No one knows what he is truly thinking. The fact that he did not leave the Xuanhuang Realm with Emperor Yi back then was already incomprehensible. Besides, his actions cannot really be considered betrayal of the Beast Taming Sect. After all, the entire Beast Taming Sect rose to prominence almost entirely because of the methods he brought. He bestowed favor upon the Beast Taming Sect, not the other way around.”

“As for joining the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, I think perhaps it was simply for survival.”

Yin Shangren sneered.

“I do not care about the rest. If I am taking Mr. Bai’s skull and he appears to stop me, I will not show mercy. As for you, you will not switch sides at the last moment, will you?”

Xu Ke replied seriously.

“Do not worry. I have already made arrangements in advance, sending Qing and Hong to the Lingxu Realm. With the imitation Beast Taming Wheel and the current cooperation of the Beast Taming Sect, it should be enough to lure Grandfather San away. Even if the plan fails…”

“I will not show mercy either.”

“Good.”

After receiving Xu Ke’s assurance, Yin Shangren smiled, his expression returning to normal.

Following their plan, the two moved stealthily until they arrived near the Heavenly City of Tianyu Prefecture in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

“This should be the place, the Heng family of Tianyu Prefecture.” Xu Ke observed the surroundings as he spoke.

“From my perspective, we could just pick any family with authority to enter the Museum of Divine Treasure Hall. Why come all the way here?” Yin Shangren rubbed his scalp impatiently.

“That was the original plan. But the Holy Emperor suddenly sent word that something seems to have changed within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. Access control for entering and leaving alliance headquarters has suddenly become much stricter. As a result, there are not many cultivators left who still have access to the Divine Treasure Hall. Among them, the Heng family of Tianyu Prefecture is the most suitable target.”

“A prominent family, all due to their weaving techniques. Their strength is not especially great, and they keep a relatively low profile, with little public presence…” Xu Ke explained via voice transmission.

Yin Shangren’s gaze pierced through the Heng family’s defenses, revealing a cold smile.

“The easiest targets should be those two girls, correct? A mother and daughter pair, no less…”

“Correct. Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin. We only need to capture them when they leave and assume their identities.”

“The Holy Emperor instructed that unless necessary, no one should be harmed,” Xu Ke added.

Yin Shangren replied, “Do not worry. Their tender flesh does not suit my appetite anyway. Though the two of us becoming women? Can we not choose different targets?”

Xu Ke laughed.

“You still care about this outer shell?”

Yin Shangren waved dismissively.

“That is true enough. No point wasting time. Quick victory. I am becoming rather impatient to see Mr. Bai’s skull.”

The Heng family mother and daughter did not make the two wait long.

One day later, He Xinxin slipped out to play and was silently captured by the pair.

Two days after that, Heng Ruoshui seemed to have received an invitation to a banquet and left her cave dwelling. She too was captured in an instant by the two.

Looking at the Heng family mother and daughter, bound together and unconscious, Yin Shangren stroked his chin.

"The technique bestowed by the Holy Emperor is truly useful. The Dao script compass within this little girl's body is somewhat extraordinary. It has the ability to seek fortune and avoid misfortune, as well as deduce and predict. It can be considered half of a Heavenly Wonder, perhaps reborn after the dissolution of an ancient immortal artifact..."

"However, with the secret technique [Sky Shrouding Hand] granted by the Holy Emperor, this little girl did not sense the coming danger at all."

Xu Ke smiled.

"Perhaps because neither of us harbors any intention to harm others. Quickly, let us begin."

They each extracted a drop of essence blood from the foreheads of the Heng family mother and daughter.

Xu Ke took his and pressed it into his glabella.

Yin Shangren was far cruder. A slit opened across his scalp, and his Oneself Dao Foundation swallowed it whole.

As flesh squirmed and churned, in the blink of an eye, Xu Ke and Yin Shangren had respectively transformed into Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin.

Their appearances, auras, and even soul fluctuations were almost completely identical.

"The wondrous methods passed down by the Holy Dynasty are indeed extraordinary." Xu Ke's eyes showed astonishment.

Yin Shangren closed his eyes in contemplation.

"The self that follows the heart is the true self. Ever-changing and unpredictable, unfathomable to gods and ghosts..."

After hiding the mother and daughter, the disguised Xu Ke and Yin Shangren flew toward Tianyu Heavenly City.

For cultivators to apply to visit the Museum of Divine Treasures, they had to submit a request through the local Administration Hall to the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters.

Only after approval from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters would a designated guiding cultivator arrive to escort them inside.

In Tianyu Prefecture, a face like Heng Ruoshui's was the best possible pass.

And bringing a younger family member to visit the Museum of Divine Treasures was the most natural thing imaginable.

The journey proceeded without obstruction, and the application was quickly sent to the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters.

The response efficiency of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters was not nearly so swift. Only after seven days did a final reply arrive.

The nobility of Tianyu Prefecture seemed utterly insignificant before the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's guiding cultivator.

The black-robed guiding cultivator wore an indifferent expression and casually explained a few matters requiring attention upon entering Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters.

He brought the two to Tiancheng of Tianshu Prefecture, located around the center of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, then opened a portal leading to the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters within a room deep inside the Administration Hall.

The moment they stepped into the ring of light, rolling illusions surged forth one after another.

Even with Yin Shangren and Xu Ke's current strength, they could not stop it.

But Xu Ke recovered in an instant, because the Heng Ruoshui he was impersonating had not come to Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters for the first time.

As for the He Xinxin impersonated by Yin Shangren, her body trembled slightly before she opened her eyes a moment later.

Following routine, the guiding cultivator explained the reason for the illusions appearing. Then he casually asked:

"What did you see?"

Yin Shangren answered according to the Holy Emperor's instructions:

"The Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor's manifestation, towering between heaven and earth, transmitting the Dao to all living beings."

The guiding cultivator nodded and asked no further questions.

While traveling along the path through the void toward the Museum of Divine Treasures, Yin Shangren and Xu Ke secretly communicated through voice transmission.

Yin Shangren said: "Interesting. I saw the scene of the Immortal Ancestor floating outside the Xuanhuang Realm. Looking down upon Xuanhuang from above. The Xuanhuang Realm was far smaller than it is now. It should be a scene from shortly after the Immortal Ancestor attained Longevity Immortal through Dao attainment."

"What did you see?" Master Yin asked.

Xu Ke immediately transmitted an image.

It seemed to be within chaotic void, with no way to determine the exact location.

Two figures stood facing each other, their appearances impossible to discern.

"Who are you?"

"I am you."

"You are me..." The voice sounded somewhat hesitant.

After a brief silence, the speaker slowly shook his head.

"No. I am not the same as you..."

The other voice laughed, carrying faint mockery.

"This is your destined mission. You cannot refuse. Better accept reality. Sooner or later, we will become one."

"I already said, I am Xuanyuan Tuo. Not..."

At the crucial moment, the image shattered abruptly.

Yin Shangren was stunned for a moment and glanced at Xu Ke.

Xu Ke looked somewhat helpless.

"That is all I saw as well. The crucial part afterward was indeed gone."

Yin Shangren replayed the sequence several times.

"Interesting. Once we return, this information must be reported to the Holy Emperor. He should know something."

As the two conversed, they soon arrived before the Museum of Divine Treasures.

Standing atop a floating continent, the entire structure was black, solemn, and majestic.

Its towering and narrow gates caused every visiting cultivator to instinctively feel reverence.

After another round of identity verification, the guiding cultivator led them inside the museum.

The first exhibit they were required to visit was the enormous sphere of light known as [Beautiful Era].

Within the sphere of light, it seemed as though countless worlds were being born and destroyed.

"This is [Era]," the guiding cultivator explained with practiced familiarity.

"Using a single Dao Deviation Stone as its core, it deduces and manifests scenes from every era in the history of the Xuanhuang Realm."

"In all of the deduced worlds, cultivators have a far lower chance of survival than they do now."

"So although it is called Era, in truth it exists to highlight the beauty of the present age."

...

Yin Shangren and Xu Ke both remained unconvinced, though neither showed it openly. They merely nodded silently.

“As is customary, the two of you may personally experience it.”

“Do not worry. A whole lifetime within an era passes in but an instant in reality. And under normal circumstances, you will not survive more than a few years in an era illusion.”

Under the operation of the black-robed guide cultivator, Yin Shangren and Xu Ke each sent out a strand of divine sense and entered separate era light spheres.

Not long afterward, the guide cultivator’s expression became somewhat strange.

Because the situation he had expected did not occur.

One of them entered the ancient immortal cultivation era, while the other was cast into an age of absolute chaotic slaughter.

Yet one of them had surprisingly good fortune. Not only did they step onto the immortal path from childhood, they repeatedly encountered fortunate opportunities. They cultivated smoothly all the way to Soul Transformation, became a core disciple of an immortal sect, and ultimately died of old age.

The other was even more absurd.

She forcibly carved out a bloody path through the chaotic age. She became a female devil whom everyone feared, even taking pleasure in devouring cultivators’ souls alive. Only after committing countless atrocities, when cultivators across the world could no longer endure it and united together, was she finally slain in a siege.

“The other eras seem quite good as well.” After awakening from the era illusion, the two spoke with lingering interest.

The guide cultivator froze for a moment, then checked their information once again.

Heng Ruoshui. He Xinxin.

“I never expected this young girl to be so vicious at such an age.”

He had just been about to persuade them to continue the era journey and serve as proof for the Beautiful Eras.

But the two had already impatiently walked onward through the eras.

The guide cultivator hesitated as if wanting to speak, but ultimately said nothing more.

Next, he led them through different sections such as Heroes of Many Talents, Seas Change into Mulberry Fields, and Contest of Ten Thousand Techniques.

Yin Shangren suddenly said, “Next, we would like to look around on our own. Is that possible?”

His tone clearly carried impatience.

The guide cultivator nodded. In any case, his task had already been completed, so he handed over a jade token.

“When your visit is over and you wish to leave, contact me. Remember, inside the Divine Treasures Hall, silence must be maintained.”

After explaining some precautions, the guide cultivator vanished from before them.

Xu Ke and Yin Shangren exchanged a glance. With perfect tacit understanding, they continued browsing while slowly moving toward the central area of the Divine Treasury Hall.

After quite some time, they finally saw the skull resting quietly in the distance.

Xu Ke’s body trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, and only then did his emotions gradually calm.

Yin Shangren also exerted tremendous effort to avoid showing any abnormal reaction.

They walked before Mr. Bai’s skull and silently gazed at it.

“I am almost unable to resist making a move.”

“Wait a little longer. The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Holy Dynasty have not started fighting yet. More importantly, I can vaguely sense that Grandfather San is still in the museum. In any case, with the authority level of these two members of the Heng family, there is no time limit for the visit…”

Yin Shangren did not reply. He had already become immersed in observing Mr. Bai’s skull.

No one knew how much time passed before another figure arrived near the skull.

After gazing for a long time, he let out a soft sigh.

It immediately drew the attention of Xu Ke and Yin Shangren.

The newcomer was a middle-aged cultivator with a long beard. Like them, he looked at Mr. Bai’s skull with emotions he could barely suppress.

“So it is this fellow…” Yin Shangren let out a cold snort.

“You know him?” Xu Ke asked.

“Hmph. His name is Shangguan Shiquan. Back then, he competed with me for Mr. Bai’s rib bone. Speaking of which, one of Mr. Bai’s leg bones is still in his possession…” Yin Shangren said with hostility.

“Hmph. Once we recover the most important skull, the remaining parts must also be reclaimed one by one.” Xu Ke’s gaze also flashed with dangerous intent.

“Naturally.” Yin Shangren fully agreed.

“Grandpa, what is so interesting about this? I still want to see the ancient dharma artifact from earlier…” A somewhat childish voice came from the distance.

It was a little girl of three or four years old, who walked over to Shangguan Shiquan, tugging at him with a tearful expression.

“This person was one of the greatest cultivators in Xuanhuang Realm history,” Shangguan Shiquan said as he picked up the little girl and comforted her.

Hearing this, the little girl widened her eyes curiously and stared intently at the skull ahead.

Meanwhile, after hearing Shangguan Shiquan’s words, the attitudes of Yin Shangren and Xu Ke shifted slightly.

After a moment of silence, the little girl suddenly stretched out her finger in alarm and pointed at Mr. Bai’s skull.

“Grandpa, look quickly. There is someone there!”

Like a bolt of thunder, the words exploded in the hearts of the three present.

All three instantly locked their gaze onto the skull once more.

Yet it remained utterly still and silent. There was not the slightest trace of life anywhere.

Shangguan Shiquan rubbed the little girl’s head.

“Nannan, do not speak nonsense. Where is there any person?”

The little girl pouted, her face full of unhappiness.

“Nannan is not speaking nonsense. There really is someone. Inside the skull. Can you not see them?”

The little girl spoke with such seriousness that Shangguan Shiquan could not help but hesitate.

He carefully examined it once more.

Still, nothing was discovered.

Shangguan Shiquan secretly mocked himself. He had no idea how many times he had already come to inspect this skull. How could anyone possibly be hiding inside it?

Assuming it was merely childish nonsense, Shangguan Shiquan told the little girl not to make trouble.

But the little girl stubbornly insisted, continuing to shout without stopping.

Helpless, Shangguan Shiquan could only take the little girl away for the time being.

Near the skull, only Yin Shangren and Xu Ke remained once more.

Xu Ke spoke in a low voice, "What do you think?"

Clearly, he was referring to the little girl's earlier words.

"Impossible. I am absolutely certain that Mr. Bai truly perished completely. There is definitely no remnant consciousness of his left within this skull."

"Moreover, Emperor Sanmo is no ordinary figure. He would not fail to distinguish whether any remnant consciousness remained in the skull. If there truly were something there, how could he openly place it here for us to observe? Hmph. That would be the remnant consciousness of the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable..." Only after a long silence did Yin Shangren answer with some decisiveness.

"But..." Xu Ke stared at Mr. Bai's skull, a trace of doubt flashing through his eyes.

"Before that little girl said it, I had not noticed anything. But after she mentioned it, I truly do feel as though something is hidden inside this skull."

"Not Mr. Bai's remnant consciousness, but something else..."

"When I was young, I liked playing hide and seek with my companions. Whenever Mr. Bai was around, we all liked hiding near him. It was as though he could contain the entire world. As long as you stayed close to him, it became very difficult for others to find you..." Xu Ke murmured.

His words caused even Yin Shangren to become uncertain.

"Right. That guide cultivator mentioned before that a remnant soul from a past era once escaped. Its whereabouts afterward became unknown..."

"Could it be?" Xu Ke suddenly said.

"The remnant soul of an era?" Yin Shangren narrowed his eyes and stared at Mr. Bai's skull.

"We have stayed here too long. Let us go somewhere else first."

Rather than answering, he said this instead.

After walking to the exhibition area called [Forms of All Living Beings], Yin Shangren finally spoke.

"Although Mr. Bai's remains appear no different from the bones of an ordinary mortal, they are, after all, the bones of a former Great Celestial Venerable. There must certainly be something extraordinary about them."

"It is just that this special quality is difficult to identify. I once stitched together and raised a mutated human-hand dog. It was disgusted by every kind of bone. Only the white rib bone in my collection held a special attraction for it..."

"It was as though that bone could save it from disaster." Yin Shangren seemed to recall something as he spoke thoughtfully.

Xu Ke's heart stirred. "If that is the case, perhaps Mr. Bai's skull truly does have some method of sheltering that remnant soul. It is just that we have not yet uncovered the truth."

"Hmph. We are separated by several layers of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's protections, so we cannot see clearly. Once we get the skull into our hands, naturally everything will become clear," Yin Shangren snorted coldly.

Xu Ke nodded in agreement, then suddenly said, "Come to think of it, even we failed to detect the remnant soul hidden within the skull. Yet that little girl noticed it..."

"That little one is no simple matter. What was her name again? Shangguan Nihong? Once we return, we must certainly report this matter to the Holy Emperor..."

If Li Fan had been present and heard their conversation, he would certainly have guessed that the force within Mr. Bai's skull protecting the remnant soul of the era was precisely the [Eternal Remnant Thought], which held a fatal attraction to [Truth].

This form of energy, currently unknown to the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm and usable only by [Truth], was the fundamental reason Li Fan had gone to such lengths to obtain Mr. Bai's skull.

However, because in this life the Holy Emperor had severed the connection with his true body within the star sea, even if Yin Shangren and Xu Ke conveyed their discovery to the Holy Emperor, Li Fan was destined to remain unaware.

...

While the two of them were touring the Museum of Divine Treasures, an unusual atmosphere had already begun gradually spreading throughout the territory of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

Because Li Fan's divine sense clone and Sun Tianci had previously infiltrated the Great Earth Cavern and stolen the Dao Foundations from nearly one fifth of the sleeping cultivators, the upper ranks of the Immortal Alliance were utterly enraged.

A large-scale secret investigation had quietly begun. No explanation was given. All cultivators who had appeared in Tongyan Prefecture that day were subjected to inspection.

The Eternal Immortal Wall was destined to remain hidden from public view, so the investigation could only be conducted in secret.

But opaque investigations inevitably caused panic among the people.

The Immortal Alliance cultivators speculated wildly, and with Holy Dynasty spies fanning the flames behind the scenes, rumors that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was about to go to war with the Five Elders Association grew increasingly intense.

Just as the situation became more tense, bad news arrived from Nine Mountains Prefecture.

Because the Heavenly Spirit Sect within Nine Mountains Prefecture had suddenly rebelled, working from both inside and outside, they joined forces with the Five Elders Association and seized control of Nine Mountains Prefecture in one stroke.

The fall of Nine Mountains Prefecture shook the entire Immortal Alliance. The Immortal Alliance declared a state of emergency war preparedness, and to prevent the Five Elders Association from expanding their gains, mobilized large numbers of cultivators to the border to establish defensive lines.

Cultivators from every prefecture were also forbidden from moving freely. For the vast majority of the time, they were only permitted to move within the Heavenly Cities of their respective prefectures.

The Immortal Alliance was discussing how to retake Nine Mountains Prefecture.

Meanwhile, in places beyond their sight, the armies of the Holy Dynasty Great Qi had already boarded the Samantabhadra True Boat, following along the White Mist Barrier and appearing within the various prefectures of the Immortal Alliance.

They were only waiting for the Holy Emperor's decree. Once it came, they would swarm downward and launch a total assault against the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

"Senior Brother, when do we make our move? I can barely hold myself back anymore."

Within the white mist, Ou Shangtian rubbed his hands together, his gaze piercing through the White Mist Barrier, visibly excited.

"Wait a little longer. Wait until the formations in the Central Four Prefectures are fully arranged," Sun Erlang said steadily.

"Speaking of which, Senior Qiao Gong's move of redirecting disaster and splitting the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's attention was truly brilliant. The Immortal Alliance has moved large numbers of troops to the border, which is undoubtedly excellent news for us," Wang Xuanba said slowly while playing with a strange beast resembling a white snake in his hand.

"Do not be careless. Master once said that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance is far less simple than it appears. Those cultivators... are merely a smokescreen to deceive others."

"Do you think our Holy Dynasty alone possesses Sky Patrolling Arrows and Holy Army puppets, while the Immortal Alliance has none? True victory must be fought for with lives." Sun Erlang clearly possessed a sharp understanding of the battle situation and rebuked them.