Somewhere in the east, an army of one hundred and ninety thousand made camp in preparation for their attack westward. It was a truly tremendous sight as the largest concentration of troops anywhere in the Samfeng Province now. With tents, carriages, and people for as far as the eye could see, it looked as vast and dense as a small city! And it was not only appearances either, because it was functionally similar too. Blacksmiths cleaned weapons, chefs served meals, servants tended to the animals, physicians mended the wounded, while labourers moved supplies and officers supervised. Near the center of the encampment, banners were erected around the main tent. They flew the sigil of General Petra of the Alzar Kingdom! Like the Yunyun Stronghold, the same group of people assembled inside.
"Please stay safe, Auntie Christina," Elizabeth said emotionally. Although she wanted to exclude her aunt from this battle, her aunt was still a Brigade Commander, and one of the key leaders of the army. Her absence could severely impact the outcome of the war. Her aunt would never accept it.
"I should be saying that to you. Must you go to the central front?"
"I'll be spectating, that's all. I won't participate unless it's necessary."
Besides, she had to keep a close eye on the Sword King. There was no telling what he might do in Guanhuang, especially should the Featherwind Sect make an appearance. Of course, there was no way she could say this out loud, but thankfully, her aunt understood.
"Please take care of my aunt for me," she asked the Ten Dawns with a deep bow.
"Stop it! You're embarrassing me," Auntie Christina blushed.
"We'll make sure she stays safe, Your Highness," Ten Dawn Yvonne said, prompting Ten Dawn Iris and Rosemary to nod. For this operation, they would be venturing to the southern front together.
Elizabeth turned to the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. "I wish you three good luck too. The northern front will be quite dangerous and hectic. Unless the worst happens, I ask that you do not reveal your identities or survival."
"Thank you, Princess Elizabeth. We'll keep that in mind," Ming replied.
"My subordinates will be supervising you while you're in the northern front, so I ask that you three remain on your best behavior. They won't show any leniency should any problems arise," General Petra added.
"We'll keep that in mind," Ming repeated stiffly, noticing the subtle threat beneath her words.
"Are we done yet?" the Sword King impatiently asked. He showed zero interest in their conversation.
"Have you finished your preparations against the Featherwind Sect?" Elizabeth wondered. Rena once explained that a Rank 3 King's senses broke free of the physical and touched upon the immaterial. Since the Sword King believed the Featherwind Sect would appear in Guanhuang, it must not be baseless. He probably sensed something in the coming battle.
"You could say that."
"…"
"Let's review the plans once more," the general saved her from the awkwardness.
For the next hour or so, she explained their entire strategy. Commander Christina and the Ten Dawns would be heading to the southern front, the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang would be heading to the northern front, and Elizabeth, the Sword King, and herself would be heading to the central front. Everyone had their own role to play and after tonight, they would go their separate ways. It was understandably melancholic because no one knew the future. This might be the last time they saw each other. This battle would also decide the fate of the war and maybe the world. They could not afford to lose! They had to win!
General Petra concluded, "Since everyone understands, everyone is dismissed. Get some rest. We have a long road ahead of us."
Central front, on the dawn of the eventful battle, Unit Commander Haea looked over the maps once more. According to the scouts, the kingdom deployed a hundred thousand to capture Guanhuang, which left ninety thousand they could field to the southern and northern fronts. That meant they could, at most, field ninety thousand to one front, and zero to another. However, the southern front had the three Great Nobility Families' armies, and the northern front had the Imperial Council's army. Both fronts had one hundred thousand for a total sum of two hundred thousand! No matter how she looked at it, the kingdom faced an uphill battle, and their position would only worsen with time. They needed a single decisive strike to reverse the odds!
Guanhuang thus became the most obvious choice. The only problem was that seizing the city was much harder than it sounded. It was more than capable of deterring an invasion long enough for the other fronts to conclude their fighting. By that point, the kingdom would face a three-way flank, ensuring their defeat! She would have been concerned had the Ten Dawns survived Liguang, but there was no sign showing that they did. This meant their key trump card dwindled down to the Sword King and his disciples. Their power would be essential in taking the city down quickly enough to assist the other fronts. And since they would be absent from the north and the south, the empire's armies could advance with peace of mind. The question became… could they defend Guanhuang?
Although history had shown a few Instinct Realms before, their combat capabilities remained largely unknown. Most of them were hermits or ascetics, rarely interfering in the affairs of the mortal world. Not to mention, an entire generation might pass before the birth of another. Their stories would devolve into mere rumors or fairy tales over time. The same went for the empire's official records. Therefore, the Sword King's actions were unprecedented! They had never seen an Instinct Realm enter the war before! However, as the Third-In-Command of the empire's army, Unit Commander Haea knew about the Featherwind Sect and their feats in the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf and Liguang. This gave her some idea of what the Sword King could do.
She had to admit that he made her antsy, and the Imperial Council probably felt the same, which was why they permitted this attack. His combat potential was one thing, but his knowledge and insights into Martial Energy and Instinct Realm were the most dangerous thing. Why were Arcanists always the Xingyuu Empire's greatest weakness? Why could the Ten Dawns do as they pleased? It was simple. The empire lacked the comprehensive foundation for Magic Energy. They could never develop nearly as fast as the Zino Kingdom! This monopoly over knowledge meant a disparity in overall combat strength. When the Featherwind Sect first arrived in the empire, they solved this disparity through Martial Energy. As long as both sides maintained their monopolies, then this would balance the playing field. However, the Sword King could destroy that balance! In this upcoming battle, he became their top priority to defeat!
Suddenly, the sound of a horn interrupted her thoughts. She then looked out her window to see a small procession cresting over the hills in the far horizon. While it appeared like a sea of ants or specks of dust, appearances could be deceiving. It must be a gigantic, mind-boggling procession to be seen at this distance! There was no doubt about it. The Alzar Kingdom had arrived! The woman donned her uniform, marched out, and gave her orders. Everyone had to prepare for battle! The fifty thousand soldiers surged into action! The atmosphere was ominous and tense when she came to the eastern walls, but it improved with her presence. Everyone stopped and saluted as she arrived, showing how greatly they respected her. She was quite famous after all. A man soon approached her hurriedly. He was the commander of the reconnaissance division. She tasked him with investigating the kingdom's army, but he had not expected the woman would come herself. It was utterly embarrassing.
"Spare me the pleasantries. Tell me what you learned," she ordered while fixing her gaze east.
"Yes, of course… From our observations, we estimate the kingdom's army having anywhere between ninety and one hundred twenty thousand. Their forces appear to be concentrated in the eastward direction and there are no immediate enemies in the other directions."
"What about our targets?"
"We have spotted General Petra Tourelle, Sword King Sin Quelldown, as well as his two disciples, Hidek and Lanar leading the army. We have not spotted anyone else of note."
"Continue your investigations. Inform me as soon as you discover anything new."
"Understood."