Under the Imperial Council's management, things moved swiftly. The Jian and Shui Family's main armies departed from their territories for the battlefield. That was another one hundred thousand entering the war! The Jun Family focused on reinforcing the frontier provinces in preparation for the kingdom's planned invasions. The empire's reserve armies were also mobilized, sending several hundred thousand soldiers across the frontlines, as the various admirals stirred into action to guard the Desterina Ocean. Even the Li Family showed some activity in their territory under Lady Hong-Lan Li's leadership. It seemed like the slumbering Xingyuu Empire had finally awakened! They were finally utilizing their full strength!
At the Quiton Gates, Unit Commander Haea looked over two scrolls with a complex gaze. The first one came from the Imperial Council, ordering her to immediately attack the Alzar Kingdom's army. She was not allowed to let them recover and rebuild their strength! Of course, she agreed and wanted to attack as well, but her forces were still recovering. Thirty-five thousand losses was no small problem. Coupled with the sharp decline in morale from retreating and dragging them onto the battlefield again might have a negative reaction. These things could not be rushed. That was something even she, as the Third-In-Command of the Tai Feng Army, was helpless against. That was why the second scroll caused a huge headache for her.
It was a report from her scouts in the Samfeng Province, who were tasked with monitoring the kingdom's movements. Several days ago, they reported a dramatic increase in activity from Guanhuang. They were mobilizing their armies again! She realized what they were planning in an instant. The kingdom wanted to keep up the momentum from their victory and smash through the council's forces! It was the same strategy she was told to execute: to not let their enemies recover! It was an incredibly bold move which spoke volumes of their confidence, especially considering they had a smaller army than the council and they would be sieging too. Moreover, the Li Family would be fishing in troubled waters, waiting for an opportunity to strike, so the kingdom had to effectively deal with almost half a million enemies! It would be an uphill battle for them.
The one deciding factor that could challenge that notion was the Sword King and his disciples. Therefore, she surmised that they must have reappeared. The kingdom should not have the confidence otherwise. When she recalled the Sword King's final strike which shook the province, she felt a bit helpless. That sort of power was beyond her… no, beyond the human world's ability to handle! Conventional strategies were useless, while unconventional were unfeasible too. The Dragon and Tiger Divisions had yet to arrive, and they had no Instinct Realms to counter the Sword King. That meant they were defenseless! The one consolation she had was that the kingdom faced two fronts simultaneously, so they had to divide their forces. That lessened the pressure on the Quiton Gates significantly. A day later, the kingdom's forces were spotted on the horizon. They had arrived!
Unit Commander Haea organized the defense, rallied the officers and generals, allocated soldiers across the walls, and prepared for the clash. But despite the overwhelmingly advantageous position and numbers, a gloomy air hung over the Quiton Gates. That could not be helped. Ever since the Featherwind Sect entered the world, conflicts became a lot simpler. Sheer positional and numerical advantages were not enough anymore. Now, a single super powerful individual like the Sword King could decide the battle in an instant! It made the average soldier much less important. This dampened everyone's spirits and infected the entire army like a disease. Whether it was the Imperial Council, the Jian, the Jun, or the Shui Family's army, morale was at an all-time low. It was not to the point of inciting a riot, but no one wanted to sacrifice themselves. Unit Commander Haea sighed. The battle's outlook was not looking good already. In terms of spirit alone, they had already lost!
A grand army stood before the Quiton Gates; their numbers upwards of one hundred thousand! Flags waved proudly in the breeze as tensions rose. Unit Commander Haea, Unit Commander Duan, General Goumeng, General Tang, and General Songlin watched from near their armies. All eyes pointed forward. Under their wary gazes, the kingdom's army parted in a similar fashion to Guanhuang where several people walked forward, but the difference was in the number. In Guanhuang, there were four people, namely General Petra, Sword King Sin, Hidek, and Lanar; however, there were… ten people now! Unbelievably, it was Princess Elizabeth and her friends, the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang, and Ten Dawn Iris, Rosemary, and Yvonne! They had survived the Battle of Liguang! This revelation sent waves throughout the armies, enemy and ally alike. No one expected such a development. And more importantly, Princess Elizabeth, the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang were standing side-by-side. Had they allied together? It was truly unimaginable!
"They're alive?" Unit Commander Haea was stunned. "You're sure they're not imposters?"
An Imperial Sentinel shook their head. "No, I'm sure of it. It's Her Highnesses and Imperian Qiang!"
Meanwhile, speculations ran rampant in the army. "I thought Her Highnesses died in Liguang!"
"Princess Elizabeth and Imperian Qiang are there too. Shouldn't they be enemies?"
"I remember hearing the kingdom went crazy and tried killing everyone. Was that wrong?"
"Of course, it's wrong! Look at them! They're clearly being held against their wills!"
"What should we do then? Should we fight the kingdom then?"
Just like that, their reappearance caused tremendous confusion. No one understood what was happening. Unit Commander Haea had a bad feeling about this. They hid their survival for months only to reveal themselves now. It was certainly not for a pleasant reason. That feeling worsened when she saw Princess Ming's actions below. Something terrible was about to happen!
Princess Ming took a deep breath and urged her horse forward. Standing before the vast and daunting gates alone, the sheer pressure emanating from those walls could bring anyone to their knees. It was like looking up a giant's foot. One wrong step, and it was over! The girl's lips quivered while her legs shook, and her blood ran cold. How long had it been since she felt nervous enough to vomit? She could not remember anymore. She felt like a child again. However, when she saw her sister and uncle and everyone else behind her, the girl reaffirmed her resolve. This had to be done! Blood dripped from her palm and stained her sleeve. Princess Ming had stabbed herself with her nails, using the pain to chase away her nervousness! Nodding in Ten Dawn Iris's direction, the woman responded with a wind-type spell to project the girl's voice across the valley.
"To the people of the Quiton Gates, my name is Princess Ming Tzu of the Xingyuu Empire and I am accompanied by my sister, Princess Xiuying Tzu, and the former patriarch of the Li Family, Imperian Qiang Li. I wish to say that we have survived the Battle of Liguang, that we're in good health, and that we have currently allied ourselves with Princess Elizabeth and the Alzar Kingdom. However, I want you to understand that this was not because we were forced to. We did this of our own freewill. We are not betraying the Xingyuu Empire either. We are doing this for the Xingyuu Empire! The Imperial Council has deceived you all! They lied about my mother Empress Mei's death and orchestrated the Second Great Kingdom War… They led my father Emperor Lianghu to his demise and plunged the empire into civil war… They even tried to murder us in the Battle of Liguang! Please understand that we are trying to help the empire. The Alzar Kingdom will give your leaders one day to consider a surrender. Otherwise, they will be forced to attack!"
On cue, Elizabeth, Freon, and the Ten Dawns stepped up. Raising her bow, Elizabeth summoned an energy arrow between her fingertips as she pulled back her bowstring. Angelic wings extended from her bow. Freon likewise used a large Magic Circle to manifest a beautiful sword of flames. The flames were hot enough to warm the surrounding air. Droplets of rainbow World Energy swarmed around them, hinting at their extreme proximity to Condensed Drop Core Level! Meanwhile, the three Ten Dawns used their own methods as well. Ten Dawn Yvonne and Rosemary used their collaborative spell, Yin-Yang Arrow, while Ten Dawn Iris assisted them with a wind-type spell. And then… bang! Elizabeth used Eclipsing Theatre, Freon used Infernal Dragon, Ten Dawn Yvonne and Rosemary used their enhanced Yin-Yang Arrow! Boom! The spells slammed into two distant gatehouses and rocked the land in a massive explosion! When the dust settled, one could clearly see where the gatehouses once stood. They were flattened into dust! It was easy to imagine what might happen had that attack landed on human bodies instead. Everyone was terrified!
"Please make the correct decision!" Princess Ming's voice trailed off.