"Reporting to the Marshal, the Taotie Legion has set up camp thirty li northwest of our position!"
"Reporting to the Marshal, the Azure Dragon Legion has set up camp twenty li northeast of our position!"
"Reporting to the Marshal, General Gao Ying of the Taotie Legion has arrived!"
"Reporting to the Marshal, General Chen Tang of the Azure Dragon Legion has arrived!"
Just as the Vermillion Bird Legion was encountering the five hundred thousand strong army of the Hong family's four clans, in a place called Yutan Pass on the northeastern border of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' territory, Tan Daoji and Wei Xiaokuan, leading the Golden Mantis Legion, first pushed southwest, directly inserting themselves into a ruined city not far from Yutan Pass.
The Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' territory had not been affected by war, and their defenses were relatively complete. Tan Daoji and Wei Xiaokuan had received a secret dispatch from the Military Affairs Department. The Divine Emperor Yang Hao had ordered the commander of the Golden Mantis Legion to attack the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' territory. Facing such a supreme giant power, they could only use strategy, not brute force.
After scouting the military strength of Yutan Pass, to ensure a stable invasion of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families, they had joined forces with the Taotie Legion and the Azure Dragon Legion a few days prior, gathering here to strategize the attack on Yutan Pass and open the gates to the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' territory.
"General Gao Ying!"
"General Chen Tang!"
"Please!"
Tan Daoji, standing before the command tent, respectfully welcomed Gao Ying and Chen Tang.
"General Tan!"
"General Wei!"
Gao Ying and Chen Tang cupped their fists in salute.
"Sit!"
Tan Daoji glanced at them and then said again, "In the past few days, General Wei and I have scouted the defensive military strength of Yutan Pass in the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' territory!"
"How is it?"
Chen Tang put down his teacup and asked seriously.
"Although the main forces of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families have all been transferred to the Chu family battlefield, the border defense forces cannot be underestimated. All generals know that the Divine Emperor ordered us to eliminate the Hong family's four clans occupying the Gu family's territory, which is merely a diversion. The true objective is for us to act as a sharp blade, piercing deeply into the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families, opening a breach from this point."
"United with the Sky-Rending Rhinoceros Legion at Qianmen Pass and the Kui Niu Legion at San Zuo Pass, we will swiftly and without warning swallow the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' territory. By then, the Divine Emperor will surely be able to step into the realm of Supreme Profound Venerable, and the tripartite balance of power will shift!"
Wei Xiaokuan stood up, his hands clasped behind his back, and said, "Yutan Pass is the crucial point of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families' northeastern border, guarded by four Chaos Dao Venerable giants and ten Creation Profound Venerable experts, with a million quasi-saint elite soldiers defending the national gate. All generals, this battle will be a battle to establish the might of our Great Han Divine Dynasty, and a battle that will determine the direction of the Central Plains' situation!"
"General Wei, please speak your mind. My two legions await your command!"
Chen Tang and Gao Ying immediately stood up and cupped their fists in salute.
"Good!"
Wei Xiaokuan was overjoyed. Tan Daoji, holding their hands, said solemnly, "Come, generals, please look. This is a detailed map of the area within a thousand li around Yutan Pass!"
"There are many experts in Yutan Pass. If there is any disturbance here, a million troops will emerge from the pass to surround us. This battle requires not only capturing Yutan Pass but also killing the four giants and ten Creation Divine Venerables. We can only rely on strategy!"
"General Chen Tang, you will lead the Azure Dragon Legion north along this route. Be sure to raise high banners and beat the drums to announce our arrival, and receive the Gu family's cities along the way!"
"General Gao Ying, you will lead the Taotie Legion south along this route. Do the same as the Azure Dragon Legion, receiving cities along the way!"
"General Wei Xiaokuan will lead the Golden Mantis Legion, using this area as the center and extending outwards, building defensive fortifications in the Gu family's border region!"
"Furthermore, I want your two legions' Yang Xuangan and Gongsun Shu to be stationed here, lying low and waiting. In two more days, Wang Yanzhang of the Sky-Rending Rhinoceros Legion will also arrive. When the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families at Yutan Pass are mentally numb and relax their guard against us, I will lead Yang Xuangan, Gongsun Shu, and Wang Yanzhang, like a drawn sword, straight for Yutan Pass. Once the battle begins, your three armies will immediately encircle it!"
"Once Yutan Pass is breached, the Sky-Rending Rhinoceros Legion and the Kui Niu Legion will also advance into the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families. The high-ranking officials of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families are almost all deeply involved in the Chu family's territory. With Yang Xuangan and Gongsun Shu, two individuals capable of killing Chaos Dao Venerables among our five major legions, we will be able to take control of the seventy Dao Provinces of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families within a day, with ease!"
"General Tan, your stratagem is brilliant. Feigning an attack on the east to capture the west, aiming for Yutan Pass. In the eyes of the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families, our Great Han Divine Dynasty is nothing but ants. By exploiting their arrogance, this plan has no flaws!" Gao Ying was overjoyed.
"General Gao is right. If we implement this plan, we will sweep away the Jiang Zuo aristocratic families within three days. The Divine Emperor will enter the realm of Supreme Profound Venerable, and even the Wang family's four clans will have to acknowledge the might of our Great Han Divine Dynasty!" Chen Tang said excitedly.
"Since that is the case, generals, time waits for no one. Let us proceed quickly!"
...
"Where is Chu He's fifty thousand strong army at this moment?"
Yutan Pass, Jiang Zuo aristocratic families.
An old man with gray-white hair sat steadily on his throne. Streams of light floated behind his head, and with his every word, the void vibrated.
"Elder, Chu He's fifty thousand strong army is still lingering in the Gu family's territory, saying they want to reap a little more before heading directly to the Chu family battlefield!"
A Creation Profound Venerable knelt on the ground, continuously pouring green liquid into a jade bottle before the old man.
"What living beings are left in the Gu family's territory that he can sweep away? Could he have his sights set on those ants from the Great Han human race? Truly! They aren't even enough to fill my teeth. Without the power of a Chaos giant, they dare to imitate the Wang family's four clans and declare war on us! Just you wait and see, the Wang family's four clans won't last much longer. How is the refining progressing?" The old man's head did not move, but his eyeballs shifted downwards.
"Elder, it's not ready yet. This immortal liquid is difficult to refine. If we speed it up, we risk losing its spiritual energy. Please wait a moment longer, Elder!" As he spoke, the Creation Profound Venerable continued to pour green liquid into the jade bottle.
"Elder!"
A being entered from outside the grand hall.
"What is it?"
The old man glanced and then closed his eyes.
"Reporting to the Elder, the three Great Han legions are enthusiastically building defensive fortifications!" the being said respectfully.
"Building fortifications??"
"Hahaha! These Great Han humans indeed come from small places. Can mere fortifications stop me? With just a glance of my eyes, several Dao Provinces will turn to dust!" the old man sneered coldly.
"The Elder is right. Humans are merely an ant race, how can they be compared to our Jiang Zuo aristocratic families? Elder, shall I lead an army to eliminate them?"
"No need. Let them play on their own. To mobilize our family's main army for mere humans is a waste. It's so boring here. I really wish I could go to the Chu family battlefield!" The old man's brows showed some anger, and black demonic energy tinged with red flickered in his pupils, with a skull wreathed in black flames faintly appearing.