Chapter 591: Marching In
"Since you are all members of my Blood Abyss Sect, you should prioritize the sect's overall interests. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. If we win this battle, everyone will be rewarded according to their contributions; if we lose, none of you will escape."
Night Shadow's gaze, sharp as a sword, slowly swept across the hall, silencing all who passed by.
There was a moment of silence in the hall.
A grandmaster in the front row was the first to rise, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a deep voice, "I am willing to fight to the death for my sect!"
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
The ten grandmasters rose in unison, their voices resounding throughout the hall.
The four hundred and eight masters followed suit, rising from their seats, clasping their hands in greeting, and responding in unison.
The sound waves echoed within the Blood Abyss Palace, causing the eyes of the ruby beast on the blood-red screen to seem to come alive, gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.
Nightshade nodded slightly: "Very well, then I will now begin to deploy this battle plan."
"The shortest route from Blood Nest No. 10 to the sect's mountain gate requires passing through Blood Nest No. 7 and Blood Nest No. 1. This battle will be divided into three steps."
"The first step is to garrison Blood Nest No. 10, leaving 100,000 outer disciples, 400,000 servants, and all true disciples and elders behind. However, this is not the place for the final battle. After our army resists for half a day, the high-level combat forces will retreat. The purpose is to lure the enemy deeper into our territory."
"At the same time, the remaining innate disciples, led by several grandmasters, escorted the sect's main force to the seventh blood nest."
Along the way, they threw putrid blood into water sources, burned down granaries, blocked roads with bloodthorn forests, and implemented a scorched-earth policy. Blood Nest No. 7 was left undefended. The aim was to stretch the enemy's battle lines and cripple their supply lines.
"The second step is that after our high-ranking combat forces feign a retreat, we will immediately dispatch dozens of Grandmasters to ambush the enemy's supply train, disrupt their offensive rhythm, and induce them to send some of their high-ranking combat forces back to reinforce the First Blood Nest, thereby relieving the frontal pressure on the First Blood Nest. All the remaining True Disciples and Elders will return to defend the First Blood Nest."
"There, we will rely on the city's defenses to fight a direct war of attrition against them, not letting them win quickly, but slowly wearing them down until they bleed to death."
"The third step is to wait until the enemy's forces, supplies, and patience are exhausted, then we will gather all our strength and engage them in the final battle at the mountain gate."
After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment and looked at everyone in the hall.
"Did you understand everything?"
"Understood!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the ruthlessness of having no choice but to obey.
"Once you're down there, proceed with the plan immediately." Nightshade waved his hand lightly. "Meeting adjourned."
As if granted a pardon, everyone rose from their seats, bowed, and retreated toward the palace gate, none daring to linger.
Those direct lineage masters lowered their heads, their footsteps light and hurried.
Soon, the main hall emptied out, leaving only Ye Ying, Li Zhan, Chong Shan, and Zang Hua standing before the main seat, like four lifeless stone statues.
Nightshade looked towards the palace gate and suddenly spoke, "You all go and prepare; there's no time."
Li Zhan was the first to turn around and stride towards the outside of the hall.
Chongshan glanced at the empty hall and left slowly and heavily.
Zanghua chuckled softly, her voice as gentle as if it were seeping from a flower petal: "Senior Brother Yeying is still so merciful, giving them a dignified death."
Night Shadow stood still, his light gray pupils revealing no emotion whatsoever.
...
Three days later, at dawn.
On the open plains north of Hangu Pass, the army's formations stretched as far as the eye could see.
Three hundred and fifty thousand Qin soldiers were arrayed in black square formations, their armor plates gleaming a cold, metallic hue in the rising sun.
One hundred thousand elite Qin soldiers were positioned in the center of the army, their imposing presence the most imposing.
More than 10,000 Templar Knights lined up on both flanks, their silver armor and white horses creating a forest of spears.
Two thousand five hundred ice-winged griffins circled low in the sky, the wind pressure from their flapping wings stirring up large clouds of dust. On their backs were five hundred generals who had just returned to full strength and elite combatants of level twenty and above.
The remaining high-end combatants at level three and above have already set off ahead of time, heading towards the teleportation portal in the north.
Lin Feng hovered a hundred meters in the air, facing the army, his gaze slowly sweeping across the front of the formation.
Three hundred and fifty thousand garrison soldiers, one hundred thousand elite warriors, more than ten thousand knights, and two thousand five hundred ice-winged griffins.
Every face looked up at him, waiting for his command.
Lin Feng withdrew his gaze and glanced down at the Soul-Guiding Token in his hand.
This token, obtained from the Terracotta Army, is grayish-white in color and covered with fine patterns. Countless tiny human figures can be vaguely seen moving slowly inside.
The Terracotta Army can revive friendly soldiers and fight across dimensions, but the souls of the fallen will not automatically return to the Blue Star dimension. They must first be collected with a Soul-Guiding Token and can only be truly revived after returning to Blue Star.
Lin Feng was well aware that the priority of the Soul-Guiding Token was only higher than that of a primary artifact. If the enemy also possessed a high-level artifact with similar functions, the Terracotta Warriors' resurrection mechanism would be suppressed or even completely rendered ineffective.
However, he quickly shook his head.
That level of opponent is too far away from me now. Instead of thinking so much, I should focus on winning this battle first.
Lin Feng snapped out of his thoughts and carefully put the Soul-Guiding Token away from his body.
He tapped his foot, and a pale blue light curtain spread out from beneath his feet, sweeping across the entire wilderness like the wind.
【Swift March】 activated!
All the soldiers felt their bodies lighten, as if they were stepping on an invisible current, and their breathing became easier. The entire army's marching speed suddenly increased.
"Set off."
Lin Feng's voice fell from the sky, clearly resounding throughout the three armies.
"Target: Blood Abyss Dimension."
As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a golden streak of light and rushed towards the teleportation portal.
Behind them, hundreds of thousands of troops responded in unison, their voices like thunder, marching northward in orderly steps.