Chapter 1325 – Group Army
In the Dark Realm.
Mountain ranges meandered across the horizon in the western frontier of the Great Wall. The Great Wall was a miracle of the formation martial way civilization. It was ten thousand meters tall, and fortified with countless formations, making it as sturdy as gold. After the Guardian's camp had painstakingly refined it over the years, the Great Wall could now be considered an impregnable fortification.
The loud booms from the battle drums thundered across the sky.
Smoke filled the air, fires blazed brightly and the strong stench of decaying corpses spread across the western frontier. The corpses of the Invaders piled up and they were as high as a small hill. As the formations were activated and martial artists produced large blazing fires, countless corpses of the Invaders were burnt; the fat within their corpses were used to keep the fires blazing brightly.
Song Xiaojun stood at the Great Wall and looked down at the carnage below. The area below the city walls all the way to the horizon in the distance was completely filled with Invaders that charged maniacally at the Great Wall. They had only been battling for less than a day, but there were already more than a million corpses of the Invaders that piled up under the Great Wall.
"The Invaders have launched an attack on all fronts. The Great Wall stretches on for tens of thousands of kilometers, but almost every defensive point has been attacked," Marquis Tingtao Lin Xuan who was standing behind her said. "Strangely though, the Invaders have yet to launch any aerial attacks. Until now, I haven't heard any news about aerial attacks from the defensive checkpoints."
Song Xiaojun nodded.
It was indeed strange.
The scale of attacks at the moment hardly posed a threat to the Great Wall; after so many years, the commanders of the Invaders should be well aware of this fact. Yet, they had spent an entire day fruitlessly attacking the Great Wall and there weren't any signs of their attacks stopping. Moreover, it was a large-scale attack on all fronts, so they couldn't possibly be doing this out of boredom, right?
It did not seem possible.
Song Xiaojun's regular troops from the Unmoving City of Darkness, stationed along the border of the Great Wall, understood the Invaders best. Most ordinary soldiers would assume that the Invaders were merely savage beasts who only reacted to their basal instincts, only knowing how to kill, but those who had truly fought in the depths of the Chaos district would know that the Invaders were controlled by their commanders; they were as cunning and scheming as the intellectual races from the Vast Thousand Domains and the Dark Realm.
"Send out the Quasi-emperor scouts, deep into the Chaos district to have a look," Song Xiaojun ordered.
"Yes," Lin Xuan said and went to cascade the orders down to the troops.
The Quasi-emperor level scouts were the most elite scouts stationed at the border of the Great Wall. According to [The Beginning], they were the most special and elite force in the army; they were the true trump cards. The military scout force had also been specially formed at [The Beginning’s] suggestion.
The mobilization of the Quasi-emperor military scouts showed how serious the situation was.
The Invaders' attacks were currently causing as much damage as a thunderstorm. Although they had launched a full-scale attack, it was clear that it would be impossible for them to break past a single line of defense stationed at the Great Wall. However, this attack seemed so strange that Lin Xuan supported Song Xiaojun's decision and also felt that they had to find out the truth behind these attacks.
Over the years, Lin Xuan had always been Song Xiaojun's right-hand man and the second-in-command of the troops stationed along the Great Wall. As a commander who had achieved commendable feats in battle back at the Guardians' camp, his talent and ability alone would rank him amongst the top ten in the Guardians' camp. Thus, he was also a little proud and conceited, but after interacting with Song Xiaojun, he was full of admiration for this young Martial Empress commander-in-chief.
Song Xiaojun's tactics and abilities were even more outstanding than her beauty.
"I'm not surprised that people are saying that the Emperor of Darkness and the Great Emperor are a perfect couple. Indeed, she is talented and wise enough to be a good match for the Great Emperor," Lin Xuan exclaimed to himself as he stood on the Great Wall and looked at the battle below.
The troops stationed at the Great Wall could see Song Xiaojun's and Lin Xuan's figures from a distance; they looked at them with respect and admiration. After Song Xiaojun and Lin Xuan had led them through major battles and small skirmishes, and as they watched how Song Xiaojun and Lin Xuan handled various matters, all the troops were in awe and respect of both their commanders. Even an ordinary soldier was willing to die for their commander.
The morale of the troops was higher than ever before.
However, Song Xiaojun and Lin Xuan did not notice that this was the beginning of an epic battle that would last a thousand years. It wouldn't be long before all the races in the world would be swept into this never-ending struggle.
A ray of flowing light ripped across the sky like a black sun.
This was the signal used by the Unmoving City of Darkness to convey serious military information.
Song Xiaojun froze for a moment when she saw the signal, before joy spread across her face.
She turned to board a flying ship that was parked at the hangar and flew back toward the Unmoving City of Darkness.
…
"The Great Emperor has returned."
This piece of news spread like wildfire across the defensive frontline of the Great Wall.
These news excited countless Dark One tribes while many soldiers from the Guardians' camp secretly trembled in fear.
After the coronation of the Immortal God Emperor, the old order was gradually being taken apart while a new order was slowly taking its place. The Dark Ones who had once been as lowly as slaves had their status elevated, and the many unfair rules and regulations that had been imposed on the Dark Ones had been lifted. On the other hand, the noblemen of the Guardians' camp no longer enjoyed such a lofty status and their special status had been revoked, their titles and status under the new government had also greatly decreased.
Any change and reform would never be a smooth-sailing journey and it would be accompanied by blood and violence. Even though many years had passed and Ye Qingyu had used violent methods to wipe out the stubborn Emperor races within the Guardians' camp, there were still noblemen and well-known aristocratic families who were ready to start a rebellion at any point, because of the erosion of their interests. This was especially so for the noblemen who once ruled over the various regions. Over the years, the older noble families and stubborn Emperor races would join forces in an attempt to fight against the Immortal military headquarters.
However, their efforts were all in vain.
Ye Qingyu still had full control over the Dark Realm, even when he wasn't present. He had already put in place a clear division of labor. [The Beginning] and [Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] were to join forces to quell all internal unrest and used the newly formed troops of the Fire Province and the Earth Province to put a stop to all internal unrest, while the Martial Empress Song Xiaojun was to lead the troops stationed along the Great Wall to defend against the Invaders attacking from the outside. Song Xiaojun had the authority to preside over all military matters, regardless of how major or minor they were.
[Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] and Song Xiaojun were both true heroes and top talents. In terms of skill and intellect, they ranked amongst the best of their generation. Furthermore, they also had the support of the top optical brain in [The Beginning] and its powerful predictive ability, so this combination was practically invincible.
[Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] and his troops from the Fire Province had already ruthlessly crushed all dissenters over the past few years. It wasn't an exaggeration to claim that more people from the rebellious Guardians' noblemen's camp had been defeated, crushed, slaughtered,and had been killed over this period than during the extinction of noblemen and well-known families over the past thousand years.
All dissent within the Dark Realm had been rooted out and eliminated.
After the initial pain of reform, an abundant vitality started to burst forth from this world, that had once been as quiet as still water.
Song Xiaojun's methods were also equally violent, as she quelled all unrest at the frontiers of the Great Wall.
She wiped out all dissenters from Guardians' troops, under the command of the four main supreme commanders, executing many evil officials under martial law. Many generals with ulterior motives were either demoted or dismissed and the four main troops of the Guardians camp were now completely under Song Xiaojun's control. Thus, the four supreme commanders who were originally in command could no longer stir up much trouble.
She had also employed clever tactics to unite hundreds of Dark One tribes under her command. Since the Guardians' camp started to govern the Dark Realm, society had been in decline over the past thousands of centuries. This was the first time the supreme commander wielded such strong power and authority over the troops at the Great Wall.
The frontier along the Great Wall where Song Xiaojun had absolute command of, had basically earned more wins than losses when the Invaders came attacking the day before. Her soldiers had charged out of the city gates to battle the Invaders outside the city; this was completely different from the battle tactics of the past, when neither the four supreme commanders nor the Dark One tribes would have dared to leave the Great Wall to fight the Invaders outside the confines of the wall.
A current Martial Emperor could definitely bring about revolutionary changes.
Moreover, in addition to Song Xiaojun, the Emperor of Darkness of the Unmoving City of Darkness, there was someone even more invincible and terrifying. This person was the Immortal God Emperor, who sat high up in the heavens and observed all life down below. No single force or person dared to defy the orders of two current Martial Emperors and even the previous Martial Emperors from the Guardians camp in the past had quietly vanished; they did not dare to appear to battle against the Immortal God Emperor.
The Immortal God Emperor had command over all things.
This was a fact that no one across the various provinces, races, Dark One tribes, and Guardians' camp could deny.
The Immortal God Emperor rose slowly but surely like the morning sun.
Thus, everyone was shocked when they heard that the Immortal God Emperor had personally paid a visit to the western frontier of the Great Wall.
Countless soldiers and generals watched as the Immortal God Emperor made an appearance at the frontier of the Great Wall at dusk. This was also the period where the Invaders were at their fiercest. He was accompanied by the Emperor of Darkness and her deputy commander Lin Xuan, as well as thousands of other generals.
The battle drums thundered, cheers rose and fell in waves all around.
"The Immortal God Emperor!"
"The Immortal God Emperor!"
These resounding cheers rose and fell in waves, as countless soldiers raised their hands high in the air and cheered. Even the Invaders who acted as cannon fodder to repeatedly attack the Great Wall—they could feel the morale of the soldiers stationed at the Great Wall soar. There was also a moment when their attacks suddenly became more hesitant.
"A sword is raised and a horse is ridden, all amidst a ghostly rain and white bones pile up to the sky where the crows caw like thunder."
The blood-colored rays of the setting sun splashed across the battlefield; the Great Wall and heaven and earth took on a tragic tint. Ye Qingyu could sense the murderous intent swirling around the battlefield, and although the troops guarding the Great Wall managed to hold their ground, there were still casualties and injuries. Life suddenly seemed so fragile in the face of a battle.
"Your Highness, according to the military scouts, there is a constant stream of Invaders acting as cannon fodder attacking the area all around the Chaos district. They are rushing toward the Great Wall like a boundless wave with no end in sight; there's no sign of them stopping. This attacking momentum may probably last more than a month," Lin Xuan reported respectfully.
The military scouts he sent out in the afternoon had already returned with their reports.
Ye Qingyu nodded.
"Tell them to continue scouting and come back with reports," Song Xiaojun said.
"Yes."
Another series of orders was cascaded down to the scouts.
"Tell them to continue defending the Great Wall for a month, and let the troops get used to the pace of fighting. Then, execute Operation Spring Thunder and battle the Invaders out in the field," Ye Qingyu said. He had reviewed the battle plan that [The Beginning] and the Great Wall troops had devised; he finally approved after he confirmed that they didn't miss anything out.
Many generals' faces lit up with joy after he formally approved the plan.
Since the reorganization of the military soldiers stationed at the Great Wall, military discipline was strict and there were many martial laws in place. But at the same time, their achievements were also clearly recognized and those soldiers who had achieved commendable feats in battle had all been generously rewarded. Thus, these soldiers stationed at the Great Wall were sure that battling the Invaders outside the Great Wall was the surest and fastest way to be rewarded for their military contributions.
The generals who were privy to insider news were also aware that the military advisers had devised many military strategies; some strategies placed more emphasis on defense while others placed more emphasis on attack. Operation Spring Thunder was the strategy that placed the most emphasis on a fierce attack. It was said that many people questioned this strategy after it was proposed; they thought it was the strategy that would cause the military to suffer the most losses. Their gains might outweigh their losses, so even the Emperor of Darkness was a little hesitant to execute the plan.
No one expected the Immortal God Emperor to select this radical plan the moment he arrived at the Great Wall.
Many ambitious generals who wanted to be recognized for their contributions in battle were also extremely excited.
They could sense his noble aspirations and astonishing aura.
It was undeniably an honor and privilege to be rendering their services to this peerless Great Emperor.
Song Xiaojun nodded and accepted Ye Qingyu's decision after he announced Operation Spring Thunder.
She would never question his choices but would do her best to execute them.
This was also the same for Lin Xuan, her second-in-command.
Ye Qingyu looked at the Invaders that surged toward the Great Wall in waves; he was also trying to figure out the intent of the commanders controlling these Invaders. These commanders knew that it would be impossible for these Invaders to break past the defense of the Great Wall, so what exactly were they planning to do? Were they planning to tire out the troops along the Great Wall before launching their true attack?
No matter what their intention was, he did not plan to let the Invaders step into the Great Wall at all.
He decided that he wanted to test the troops at the Great Wall and the Dark Realm on a deeper level. It would implement the military systems from the Earth's civilization throughout the military.
The reform many years ago had just been the beginning.
Evidently, he didn't need to worry about those things.
He was more concerned about another issue—where exactly was the defeated Sky Emperor? That man was a canker sore that had to be rooted out at all costs. Otherwise, he had the potential to bring about catastrophic damage. He even guessed that the Invaders' attack was probably related to the Sky Emperor. After all, the Guardians' camp had once secretly plotted and joined forces with the Invaders, so he could see the Sky Emperor mark on this.
