The Cheng family cultivators capable of fighting numbered barely over thirty, but with sufficient weaponry, their combat effectiveness doubled.
This made the simple-minded giants under Xiao Fei's command struggle.
Xiao Fei watched from a distance. Having just ascended to the Integration Stage, he was eager to test his newfound strength, to see how many opponents he could face at once.
However, he suppressed the urge and did not intervene.
At this moment, Xiao Fei stood with his hands behind his back at a high vantage point, appearing relaxed. A gentle breeze ruffled his robes, giving him the air of an otherworldly master, a persona he maintained convincingly.
Xiao Fei was naturally detached and disliked fighting, let alone showing off. But in the martial world, one's circumstances dictated their actions, and this was all part of the job.
As a divine being revered by thousands, he had to maintain an aura of unfathomable mystery.
He would not act unless absolutely necessary.
Once he acted, that mysterious aura would be gone.
Even if he could fight ten, or a hundred opponents at once, what of it?
To others, he would merely be a ten-man or hundred-man fighter, powerful, yes, but with a discernible limit, lacking room for imagination.
But by not acting, by preserving his mystery, he possessed limitless imaginative potential, allowing the giants to fill in the blanks with their own conjectures, making anything possible.
Although he did not directly participate, the greatest credit for this victory would still go to his strategic command.
Should they lose this battle, it would be attributed to his subordinates' poor performance, having nothing to do with him.
Furthermore, one hundred well-trained and coordinated giants had no chance of losing against thirty poorly equipped, disorganized rabble.
As expected, Xiao Fei's tedious act of posturing did not last long. Han Yi, carrying the head of a giant, stood atop the mountain, letting out a victorious roar.
"Lord Xiao's might is unparalleled!"
"Lord Xiao is invincible!"
"Lord Xiao lives as long as heaven and earth!"
"Lord Xiao..."
This battle successfully secured Black Iron Mountain, which was rich in black iron ore, an excellent material for weapon crafting.
However, among his population of over four thousand, only a dozen or so understood weapon manufacturing.
These individuals had previously specialized in crafting farming tools.
They were not particularly skilled in weapon production.
Helpless, Xiao Fei had to once again display his extraordinary wisdom.
The Giant World had little concept of artifact forging. Their immense size and strength meant they relied on direct close-quarters combat.
The laws and Haki they wielded were innate abilities, requiring no further thought.
The weapons used by giants were similar in performance to those used by ordinary mortals, merely scaled up proportionally.
For Xiao Fei, who was proficient in artifact forging, this was child's play.
Xiao Fei gathered these dozen or so giants who could craft farming tools and conducted a short training session.
He personally guided them through every step, from material refinement to shaping the final product, multiple times. Their blacksmithing skills improved significantly, and they became proficient in crafting several common types of weapons.
Then, he had these dozen blacksmiths recruit apprentices to assist them, establishing the first rudimentary "arsenal" at the foot of Black Iron Mountain.
To ensure security, Xiao Fei left one hundred giants to guard the area permanently.
With weapons now secured, the issue of food remained a significant deficit.
The batch of grain seized from the Cheng family's warehouse in Black Iron Mountain was only enough to alleviate the immediate crisis.
Thus, after occupying Black Iron Mountain, Xiao Fei continued to lead his giant legion on a plundering expedition.
First, after extensive reconnaissance, they finally located the lair of the "One-Eared Bandit."
The "One-Eared Bandit" had always maintained a force of over a hundred men and was a notorious bandit feared throughout the Giant World.
Their prowess in attacking and conquering territories had accumulated a vast fortune over the years.
This time, Xiao Fei led two hundred men.
The distance to the "One-Eared Bandit's" lair was at least ten to twenty days' journey.
During these ten-plus days of travel, transporting the food for these two hundred men alone required fifty individuals.
The cultivation world had storage bags, but such small items were impractical for giants.
A large storage bag could barely hold half a giant's meal, even if it was considered good.
Therefore, of the two hundred men he brought, only one hundred and fifty were warriors, with the remaining fifty serving as porters.
These one hundred and fifty were all equipped with spears as their primary weapons.
Additionally, they acquired over a dozen shields and eight complete sets of armor from the Cheng family.
On the battlefield, a unit fully clad in armor and wielding shields charging at the forefront was virtually unstoppable.
Their group traveled discreetly, posing as a merchant caravan, intending not to alert anyone.
Eighteen days later, they finally found a massive canyon. According to intelligence, the "One-Eared Bandit" was hidden within it.
"Lord Xiao, just wait for my good news!"
Han Yi, emboldened by several consecutive victories, declared this to Xiao Fei before intending to charge into the canyon with his men.
"Wait a moment. If you charge in like that, I'll likely only be able to collect your corpse."
Han Yi scratched his head, looking somewhat confused.
Xiao Fei said no more, instead releasing Fei Yu.
"Fly to the sky above the canyon and scout."
"Understood!"
Fei Yu acknowledged the order and flew off. After only a moment, he returned.
"Master, there are many giants inside the canyon, and also many traps."
Fei Yu provided Xiao Fei with a detailed account of the situation within the canyon.
Clearly, the "One-Eared Bandit" was well-prepared, having set a trap, waiting for them to fall into it.
Xiao Fei had long suspected the "One-Eared Bandit" was targeting him.
The intelligence received this time was too sudden; it was highly likely that the "One-Eared Bandit" had deliberately leaked it as bait.
"Lord Xiao! What should we do?"
For the giants, this was already a highly complex stratagem, leaving Han Yi, who was usually confident in his intelligence, scratching his head in dismay.
"A minor trick, merely amusing!"
Xiao Fei lightly flicked his robes, his mind brimming with solutions.
"Issue my command..."
Soon, under his orders, his giant subordinates divided into several groups.
Fifty men were stationed at the canyon's exit. The terrain here was narrow, allowing only about a dozen men to spread out, making the assignment of a dozen more than sufficient.
Moreover, the giants equipped with armor and shields were assigned here, ensuring that no giants could escape.
The remaining one hundred and fifty men would take a detour to the canyon's upper reaches, to throw large stones down, intending to fill the canyon directly.
Giants, perhaps due to their immense size, had their innate talents focused on strength, rendering them incapable of flight, only able to leap.
This way, by occupying the high ground, these "One-Eared Bandits" would be left with no recourse but to be beaten.