Lin Feng flew westward at a speed of seventy meters per second.
About fifteen minutes later, a large number of figures and flags appeared on the ground ahead. It was the army of the Beacon Fire Territory, scattered across an open area, cleaning up the battlefield.
He lowered his altitude and looked down from the air. Tens of thousands of orc corpses lay scattered across the wilderness, broken weapons and shattered shields strewn everywhere.
The soldiers of Fenghuoling were sorting out their spoils of war. Some were piling up the scattered iron axes, while others were pushing carts and loading the captured supplies onto the carts.
The wind blew in from the west, carrying a heavy smell of blood and dust.
Lin Feng's gaze swept across the group, but he didn't see Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan. However, he recognized a few familiar faces.
Feng Qingyan was sitting on a captured orc food cart, swinging his legs, his staff resting on his side, looking relaxed.
Zhao Hu leaned against a withered tree, closing his eyes to rest, while the Vengeful Bite was stuck in the soil at his feet.
Su Yuehua stood aside directing the logistics staff to count the supplies.
Lin Feng landed from the sky. The soldiers around him were stunned at first, then put their right fists to their chests and shouted, "Lord!"
The news spread like wildfire, and in no time, Feng Qingyan, Zhao Hu, Tiedun, Su Yuehua, and several others gathered around.
Feng Qingyan took two steps closer: "Lord Lin, you've finally arrived! More than 20,000 orcs were wiped out in just over half an hour. I haven't even had my fill of fighting yet!"
Zhao Hu nodded: "The orcs have completely lost their morale, making the fight easier than expected."
Tie Dun grinned and said, "Those orcs run faster than rabbits, we can't catch them! I chased them for two miles and still couldn't catch a few!"
Lin Feng smiled and turned his gaze to Su Yurou: "Yurou, where are Lord Jiang and Ye Lan?"
Su Yurou raised her hand to tidy up her wind-blown hair: "Half an hour ago, after Sister Jiang and Sister Yelan defeated the rearguard of the orcs, they left us to clean up the battlefield while the ten of them headed straight for Kara Holy City. Sister Yelan said that before the orcs could react, they should take over the Holy City first."
Lin Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the busy soldiers and supply wagons: "Once you've finished cleaning up the battlefield, [N O V E L I G H T] head back to Hangu Pass. The remaining orcs are already out of reach, there's no need to go any further."
Everyone accepted the order in unison. Lin Feng did not linger. He pushed off with his feet and his body soared into the air again, flying swiftly westward.
After flying for about ten more minutes, a large, scattered orc army appeared on the plain ahead.
A dark mass, covering the entire mountainside, numbering around twenty to thirty thousand, but no longer in any formation.
There were no flags, no commands, no centurions' roars, only a chaotic green tide, surging westward like headless flies.
Every orc's face screamed the word "escape," wishing they had more legs.
Suddenly, he saw several orcs running ahead bend over, put their hands on the ground, and start running on all fours, increasing their speed dramatically.
The orcs behind them saw this and their eyes lit up. They all followed suit, and soon the ground was covered with a huge mass of orcs on all fours, like a pack of frightened wild dogs, kicking up clouds of dust.
Several orcs who had been running upright saw their companions running even faster, cursed, and also bent down and used both hands and feet.
For a time, the plains were filled with orcs running wildly with their backs bent and buttocks sticking out, looking from a distance like a green wave rolling along the ground.
One orc was running so fast that his limbs got tangled up and he rolled away, tumbling several times before stopping. He got up, cursing, and continued running.
Lin Feng's lips twitched, he shook his head, ignored the fleeing soldiers, and continued flying westward past them.
An hour and a half later, the outline of the holy city of Karakoram appeared on the horizon.
The snow-capped mountains glowed with a dark blue light in the twilight, and the gray-black city walls stretched from the foot of the mountains all the way to the mountainside, forming a stark contrast with the white ice and snow.
But this once majestic city is now unrecognizable. Half of the commercial district in the East District has become ruins, with sacks from spice shops and carpets from carpet shops scattered on the streets, covered in dust and black blood.
The residential areas of Xicheng District were eerily quiet. The alleyways were devoid of children's laughter and women's spinning, leaving only the mournful sound of the wind whistling through the ruins.
But the holy city has been recaptured; there are no orc battle flags on the city walls, and no green figures in the streets.
Large numbers of indigenous people were walking down the winding stone steps from the inner city. Some were carrying children, some were pushing carts, and they gathered in twos and threes at the street corner, gazing blankly at their devastated homeland.
Lin Feng did not linger and flew straight towards the inner city.
The inner city is built on the mountainside of the snow-capped mountain, with gray-white granite walls embedded among the snow-capped peaks, almost blending into one.
The council hall is located in the center of the inner city and is a three-story stone building.
The lintel is engraved with a crescent moon and stars, and the door is now open, with figures moving about inside.
Several figures were standing in the open space in front of the council hall.
The moment Lin Feng landed, Jiang Zhaoyue, Jiang Yelan, Lu Dingchuan, and others surrounded him.
Jiang Zhaoyue's ponytail was a little messy, but her eyes were clear and bright, and there was a relieved smile on her lips: "Lord Lin, Kara Holy City has been recaptured. The orc garrison in the city, numbering about two thousand, has been completely wiped out."
Lin Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping across the crowd: "Where are Ivan, Zain, and Zara?"
Jiang Zhaoyue said, "Ivan and Lord Liu have gone to recapture the two westernmost counties of Tieba Kingdom. Zain went to a county south of the Holy City, and Zara went to a county in the north. They split into three groups and said they would all be back tonight."
Lin Feng glanced at the sky and said, "Alright, then we'll wait for them to return here. Once all these territories are covered by the Great Wall, we'll return to Hangu Pass together."
He paused, then a slow smile curved his lips. "Judging by the time today, I should still be able to make it to tonight's celebration banquet."
Everyone laughed, and the laughter drifted away into the twilight, marking a fairly satisfactory end to the day's fierce battle.
