Battle Out! . . .
Wenren Jianyin articulated the dire necessity of their mission, "Should I miss this crucial opportunity, the Kingdom of Chen will unquestionably continue to grow in strength. Eventually, they will conquer our kingdom. Why did we initiate this war, forming a coalition with other forces? Because the Kingdom of Chen is already the dominant superpower in the world. The most potent force! Our kingdom has been persistently threatened by the possibility of invasion, compelling us to take preemptive action to eliminate this threat."
With determination, he continued, "Should we fail in this war, the world will inevitably fall under the dominion of the Kingdom of Chen, and it will be impossible to reverse our fate. We must break through Iron Peak with the utmost speed. In half a month, no, within twenty days, we must capture Chen-Xing City and apprehend Chen Xuantian. This will mark the end of the Kingdom of Chen."
However, the urgency was palpable in his words, "Even twenty days is a precarious timetable. If Cha Nantian and his Northern Army intervene on our path to Chen-Xing City after we breach Iron Peak, all will be lost. In such a case, we will be forced to retreat."
His tone grew grim, "And if we retreat... I would have exhausted every resource for this war. I would return empty-handed... Chuchu, consider this..."
His voice wavered with the weight of the impending shame, "How can I face our people back in our kingdom? I would be utterly dishonored. In such a scenario, I would prefer to die in battle. Even if I perish in defeat, I will be spared the unbearable disgrace."
Wenren Chuchu struggled to respond, understanding the gravity of Wenren Jianyin's words.
She conceded that her uncle's dilemma was inescapable. He had been the driving force behind this war, and they had wholeheartedly supported his cause. He had requisitioned their treasury and expended every resource available, leading them to the very gates of the Kingdom of Chen. Retreating now would be a disgrace beyond bearing.
They had already penetrated deep into enemy territory. How could he explain their withdrawal, attributing it to the enemy's superior strength? This humiliation would eclipse even the consequences of defeat.
As one of the renowned generals in the world, how could he endure such ignominy?
In her contemplation, Wenren Chuchu saw the potential for great victory in Wenren Jianyin's fire attack plan. However, the one factor he could not gauge was Cha Eun Xiao's capability. In this regard, Wenren Jianyin was helpless, for very few knew the true extent of Cha Eun Xiao's power, including Wenren Jianyin himself, hailing from the Kingdom of Lan-Feng.
Wenren Chuchu possessed more knowledge about Cha Eun Xiao than most. She comprehended his significance to Ling-Bao Hall's assassins and knew the lengths to which they would go to execute his commands. Still, her understanding was far from comprehensive.
Wenren Jianyin announced the final decision, "It's settled! In two days, we will unleash the inferno upon them. We will initiate the fire attack in phases, creating a fiery barrier spanning three hundred miles. We will clear the mountains of all available wood resources and maintain strict control to ensure nothing obstructs the wind's direction. We will douse the gathered wood with as much kerosene as possible. All tents will be cast into the flames. Anything that can further fuel the fire must be thrown into the blaze."
With unwavering determination, he declared, "This is the decisive battle! We have one chance to seize the Kingdom of Chen once and for all. If we fail, we will face certain death. It is a victory-or-death scenario! We either emerge triumphant, or we meet our end!"
As his words hung in the air, his eyes burned with fervor. His demeanor resembled that of a zealot, unwavering and resolute.
Wenren Chuchu could only sigh, realizing that this battle was destined to be an all-or-nothing affair. Words would serve no purpose now.
Wenren Jianyin's strategic plan had pushed Cha Eun Xiao to an unprecedented point of tension. The situation demanded his utmost vigilance and effort. Yet, from the outset, Cha Eun Xiao's two hundred thousand well-trained soldiers, an abundance of superior cultivators, and the formidable supreme dan beads had already placed Wenren Jianyin in an equally extreme situation.
In a world without the supreme dan beads, Wenren Jianyin could have likely seized Iron Peak much earlier, even at the cost of sacrificing ten times the number of his own men to eliminate Cha Eun Xiao's forces. A brutal, all-out assault might have achieved the goal of eradicating them. However, the supreme dan beads altered the equation entirely, rendering any such attempts futile.
No matter how gravely Cha Eun Xiao's soldiers were wounded, as long as they remained alive, they could be restored from the brink of death. The implications of this ability weighed heavily on Wenren Jianyin's conscience.
Witnessing the resurrection of Cha Eun Xiao's troops was not limited to Wenren Jianyin alone. Nearly all of his generals had observed these seemingly immortal soldiers return to battle.
Confusion and disbelief were pervasive. The men of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng had been eyewitnesses to the phenomenon, and it challenged their understanding of warfare. Their minds grappled with the astonishing reality.
"I saw him dismembered last time, but he reappeared as if untouched. I thought I must have been mistaken. Maybe there were two different individuals who bore a striking resemblance to each other. I dismembered him once again, but for the third time, he stood before me, vigorous as a tiger," thought the perplexed soldiers.
Unable to deny the evidence of their own eyes, they questioned whether their adversaries were somehow immortal. The repeated experiences of these inexplicable resurrections shook their resolve.
If Wenren Jianyin had delayed his offensive for only a few more days, his troops would have undoubtedly fallen into a state of panic, teetering on the edge of chaos due to fear and despair. It was impossible for him to suppress the conversations among his troops.
Consequently, Wenren Jianyin's army continued to amass a vast quantity of wood, to the extent that they had exhausted available storage. He gave the order to mobilize the wood to the frontlines, bringing it within three hundred meters of the fortress walls.
Here, soldiers diligently stacked the logs, forming massive barricades. Hundreds of thousands of fully-armed men, accompanied by one hundred thousand archers, were poised and ready.
Gradually, the pile of wood grew taller and more imposing. As soldiers climbed and hurled the logs closer to the walls, troops with shields advanced steadily, ensuring the continued advancement of the wooden fortifications. This meticulous, coordinated effort resulted in a mound of wood situated at the base of the Iron Peak wall.
The intent was clear: the impending fire would be ignited upon this colossal pyre, subjecting those inside to a towering inferno that would consume them entirely. The Kingdom of Chen's stronghold was on the brink of being enveloped in flames.