Chapter 531: Central Plains Domain
Lin Feng turned his gaze to Zhao Hu on the left: "Zhao Hu, you are fully responsible for the defense of the north gate of Hangu Pass. The ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) daily battle situation must be sent to the council hall as soon as possible."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhao Hu clasped his hands in a fist salute and replied in a deep voice.
Lin Feng took out a power ring from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Hu: "There may be more generals and soldiers who are resurrected and arrive at Hangu Pass. As soon as they arrive, you should arrange for them to join the defense line. Also, this is for you."
Zhao Hu accepted the power ring with both hands, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes. He solemnly accepted the order: "Understood!"
Standing to the side, Tie Dun stared at the ring, his eyes wide with envy.
Lin Feng looked around at everyone one last time: "The rest of you, assist Zhao Hu and guard Hangu Pass well. This is our last resort, and we must not lose it!"
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone stood up at the same time, placed their right fists against their chests, and accepted the order in unison.
The sound echoed under the dome of the council hall for a long time before dissipating.
Lin Feng nodded, said "Meeting adjourned," and strode out of the council hall.
The sunlight outside was still warm, and the golden wall of the Great Wall silently guarded this last bit of daylight overhead.
...
Half an hour later, at the north gate of Hangu Pass.
Accompanied by the dull yet orderly sound of footsteps, the 250,000-strong army had already formed ranks.
At the very front, ten mammoth war elephants stood like ten mobile fortresses, the colossal creatures, each fifteen meters tall at the shoulder, forming a horizontal line at the head of the procession.
The heavy purple armor gleamed with a cold, deep light in the fading twilight; the elephant's trunk hung low, and its breathing was as steady as a mountain.
In each arrow tower on the back of an elephant, two commanders of a thousand men and a healer stood firmly, overseeing the entire situation from their elevated positions.
The lineup of this army was terrifying. Among the 250,000 elite Qin soldiers and garrison troops, 2,500 elite centurions of level 20, 500 elite 500-man commanders of level 25, and 200 thousand-man generals of level 30 were arranged in the front row of each formation.
Whether it's high-end combat power or core strength, they are practically perfect, with no weaknesses whatsoever.
A hundred meters above the army, Lin Feng, Jiang Zhaoyue, and Jiang Yelan stood side by side, suspended in mid-air.
Behind them, over 130 captains and 10,000 men, including Meng Yi, lined up in a fan shape, their robes fluttering in the wind.
At an even higher altitude of 500 meters, a silver-white figure was gliding at low altitude.
As the Silver Dragon Beacon Snow swept in from the direction of the city gate, it brought a gentle breeze. As it passed over the army, its wingtips slightly adjusted their angle, and then it steadily maintained a position about 500 meters ahead of the formation, leading the army.
Lin Feng glanced down at the queue below to confirm that everyone was in position.
With a slight thought, he decisively activated the skill 【Swift March】.
"All troops, speed up!"
A pale blue halo emanated from him, spreading outwards, passing over the soles of the boots of everyone in the ranks below, over the hooves of the mammoth war elephants, and over the wheels of the pack animals and supply wagons.
The marching speed of 250,000 men suddenly increased to ten meters per second.
Accompanied by the sound of perfectly synchronized footsteps, the army transformed into a continuous torrent of steel, rushing northward.
As the army completely disappeared into the thick darkness, a command came down from the front of the formation, brief and powerful.
"ignition!"
"Whoosh!!!"
Tens of thousands of torches were lit at the same moment.
In this eternal night that seemed to swallow even light, the firelight forcefully tore a dazzling opening in the darkness, illuminating the path to the Arctic region.
...
Eight days later, in the heart of the Central Plains.
The army of Feng Huo Ling continued its northward advance across this vast territory for eight days and seven nights, without slowing down in the slightest.
The pale blue halo of 【Swift March】 was like a flowing veil, steadily enveloping the entire team.
The torches on both sides of the procession continued to burn in the wind, their light outlining the 250,000-person column as a long, thin, bright line in the darkness.
However, in stark contrast to this vibrant army of steel, the Central Plains was utterly devastated.
This place was first contaminated by the cold aura of the undead, and then it was further destroyed by the nightmare race.
Looking around, the earth presented a sickly gray color, and even the slightest breeze carried a sense of decay and despair.
There was no life left here; even the most tenacious weeds had turned into black powder, which dissipated into the air with a gust of wind.
At the forefront of the army, Jiang Zhaoyue was leading the way with her eyes closed.
The silver moon emblem on her forehead glowed faintly in the torchlight, and 【Battlefield Intuition】 clearly projected the terrain structure within hundreds of meters around her into her mind as silver specks of light.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, turned her head slightly, and reported to Lin Feng behind her: "Lord, if we advance a little further, we will reach Red Earth City."
Upon hearing this name, Lin Feng's eyes flickered slightly.
Red Earth City was once one of the core city-level territories of the Kangaroo Kingdom in the Central Plains.
Several months ago, the various states of the Central Plains gathered their last strength here in an attempt to resist the iron hooves of the orc army.
But it ultimately ended in failure, the city fell, and countless lives were lost.
Fortunately, the powerful figures of several Central Plains countries, including the Kangaroo Kingdom, had taken precautions and, carrying the village-building order, attached themselves to the Beautiful Kingdom of the Western Region, thus barely avoiding the crisis of national annihilation.
"However, now, the United States, and even the entire Western Regions, are mostly struggling to protect themselves."
Jiang Yelan appeared silently beside Lin Feng, her voice sounding particularly cold in the wind, bringing the latest intelligence.
"According to news from Blue Star, the two Nightmare Clan armies have completed their rendezvous, with a total strength of over one million, and thousands of combatants at the third rank or above are advancing towards the main city of the Western Extreme Region."
Lin Feng nodded slightly, his expression calm, and said nothing more.
In the face of absolute power, any attempt to take chances is futile.
Ten minutes later, the vanguard of the army finally arrived at the ruins of Roussillon.
However, what appeared before everyone was no longer a city, but a huge ruin.
The collapsed city walls, the charred houses, the crushed streets... everything silently tells the story of the past tragedy.
After conquering a city, the Nightmare Clan does not convert it into their territory; they simply destroy everything in sight, even the buildings, turning it into a worthless ruin.
The army did not slow down as it passed through the ruins of Red Earth City, and the column continued to advance northward along the remnants of the main road in the center of the city.
The torchlight cast several parallel outlines in the ruins, then dimmed again after the procession passed.
Two hundred and fifty thousand Qin soldiers marched in orderly steps, mercilessly crushing the ruins, and continued their rapid advance into the dark depths of the north.