Yang Hao said lightly, then closed his eyes and waved his hand.
After Wei Zhongxian finished writing the imperial decree, he quietly withdrew from the great hall. He moved with extreme speed, reaching the Vermilion Bird Gate in just a few breaths, and handed the imperial decree to Mao Xiang.
"Can the decision made by the Second Elder succeed this time?"
The left deputy general of the Fire Crow Army's Second Elder, Ma Xi, commanded one hundred and fifty thousand Fire Crow Army soldiers and followed Ma Xi's decision to choose the middle route.
The left deputy general looked into the distance with a worried expression. He wondered if leading this army to attack the human race would be a good or bad omen. The death of the Third Elder, Zi Mu, had cast a shadow over his heart.
The Great Han, capable of killing Zi Mu, Lian Jin, Zi Fu, and Fang Yu, was certainly capable of killing him. The human race was no longer the human race of the past.
"General, according to the scouts' intelligence, the Great Han army has mobilized all its forces, dividing into two routes. One route, consisting of one hundred thousand troops, is advancing towards the route of the right deputy general, while the other, also one hundred thousand strong, is marching towards our position!"
A soldier rushed forward, knelt on one knee, and reported to the left deputy general with a joyous expression.
"Oh!"
"Is that true?"
The left deputy general was skeptical, yet secretly ecstatic.
"Absolutely true. The Great Han Azure Dragon Legion, a total of two hundred thousand strong, has been fully deployed. The border is now a mere formality!"
"Hahaha, excellent!"
"As expected of the Second Elder! The Great Han Azure Dragon Legion is advancing on two fronts, intending to cut off the route between me and the right deputy general. Such actions mean the Great Han's demise is not far off!"
The left deputy general was overjoyed. He and the right deputy general each commanded one hundred and fifty thousand troops, totaling three hundred thousand, all of which were feigned forces. Only the nearby dangerous path, led by the Second Elder Ma Xi with two hundred thousand Fire Crow Army soldiers, was their primary objective.
Two hundred thousand troops would march directly into the Great Han border, then trap and annihilate the Great Han Azure Dragon Legion, after which the army would sweep south, directly towards the Great Han capital, Chang'an.
"General, although our army is merely a feint, we are not incapable of dealing with this Great Han Azure Dragon Legion!"
"If we can defeat these one hundred thousand Azure Dragon Legion soldiers, General can earn great merit in the eyes of the Second Elder!"
A Fire Crow wearing general's armor suddenly stood up, his face flushed with excitement, looking at the left deputy general with fervent battle intent.
Beside him, another man in general's armor, holding a fiery long saber, looked at the left deputy general.
"General, although the human race shows signs of resurgence, they cannot contend with our mighty Fire Crow Army. Our Fire Crow Army has not had a blood offering since departing from the Fire Spirit Hall for days, and most of the soldiers are weary. With one hundred thousand blood offerings delivered to our doorstep, why should we not fight and capture them!"
"At that time, the Second Elder will surely not blame the General for deviating from the plan!"
Another Fire Crow soldier stood up, looking at the left deputy general: "General, the one hundred thousand Azure Dragon Legion is pressing towards us. If we must wait for the Second Elder to occupy the Great Han border, then this military merit will not fall to us brothers!"
"Enough!"
The left deputy general roared, looking around: "This Azure Dragon Legion is known as one of the elite armies of the Great Han Dynasty. According to intelligence, this Azure Dragon Legion has two warriors at the Creation Realm. This battle is inevitable, but we must not be careless!"
"Everyone, the Second Elder's order is for us to merely set up a diversion and tie down the Azure Dragon Legion. However, the situation is constantly changing and unpredictable. To ensure our Fire Crow clan can completely annihilate the human race!"
"I declare that the army will advance rapidly, and we will capture the Azure Dragon Legion and bloodbath the human lands!"
The left deputy general was surrounded by murderous intent, and wisps of flame ignited on his fur.
...
On the most dangerous path connecting the Great Han border and the Primordial Wasteland, the one hundred thousand Azure Dragon troops led by Ma Yuan lay in ambush.
Few people knew that Ma Yuan commanded one hundred thousand troops and had been incorporated into the Azure Dragon Legion. Firstly, Ma Yuan's reputation was not well-known, and secondly, the Great Han Human Emperor frequently appointed unknown warriors to official and military positions, a common occurrence for most Great Han citizens and officials.
After Ma Yuan, Chen Tang, and Cen Peng formulated their military strategy, Ma Yuan immediately led one hundred thousand troops and, under the cover of darkness, disappeared from the Great Han border.
It was only at dawn that Chen Tang and Cen Peng led their armies to advance slowly along the other two routes, thus avoiding alarming the enemy.
"General, the commander of the Fire Crow Army, Ma Xi, is leading two hundred thousand Fire Crow Army soldiers and is rapidly approaching this location. He should arrive in about an hour!"
A vice-general at the Tongtian Realm respectfully reported to Ma Yuan.
"Are the arrowheads prepared?"
Ma Yuan looked at the map in his hand and asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Reporting to the General, General Chen Tang and General Cen Peng have each provided four hundred thousand arrowheads. All one hundred thousand soldiers are now fully prepared!"
The vice-general had a slight smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with sharp killing intent.
"In that case, when the Fire Crow Army reaches this location, first unleash a barrage of arrows and shoot them all in one go!"
"After the arrow barrage, proceed according to the plan!"
"Go!"
Ma Yuan looked at the vice-general with a calm expression. The Fire Crow Army was indeed acting according to their prior predictions. The Fire Crow Army, totaling five hundred thousand, was divided into three routes, and this dangerous path was the Fire Crow Army's top priority. The strongest commander of the Fire Crow Army this time, the Second Elder of the Fire Crow clan, Ma Xi, was within this army.
The other two routes, without Ma Xi's presence, were merely throwing stones at a boulder, a futile sacrifice of three hundred thousand troops.
The Great Han Azure Dragon Legion, advancing on three routes, would clash head-on and completely annihilate the invading enemy. Then, the three armies would march north, besieging the southern region of the Primordial Wasteland.
This would deliver a heavy blow to the Fire Crow clan!
"Yes, General!"
The vice-general's smile vanished, and his face became solemn. He grasped the long sword at his waist and rose with a surge of energy.
The one hundred thousand soldiers of the Azure Dragon Legion, all clad in azure armor, their azure flowing light blending with the lush green trees, seemed to be one with their surroundings. Protected by the faint azure glow, the one hundred thousand troops seemed to vanish into the endless mountain range.
"Second Elder, this path is so treacherous. If it weren't for our Fire Crow clan, who could traverse this place!"
A deputy general said ingratiatingly to Ma Xi beside him.
The jagged and steep mountain path, with its torn edges, gleamed with a chilling light. Some of them, as if nourished by Yuan force for a long time, were like sharp swords.
"Screech!"
Some soldiers accidentally touched them and instantly tore their skin, drawing bright red blood!
"Be careful, all of you!"
A top-tier Guiyuan Realm martial artist, and a beast with vigorous blood, was actually cut by these lifeless sharp fragments. A slight graze was enough to split the skin and draw blood.
Some of them, illuminated by the sunlight, emitted a cold, metallic sheen. Holding them casually, they could serve as excellent weapons, even surpassing weapons polished by martial artists.
"Be careful, all of you!"
A deputy general scanned his surroundings. This place was already close to the Great Han territory. Less than fifty li further, they would break through the Great Han border, and the army would march south, inevitably destroying the Great Han Dynasty!